City Slang: Jerry Vile’s Secret of Life
Former Boners frontman and Dirty Show and Orbit founder Jerry Vile presents his Secret of Life Revealed art spectacular on May 19 at Bankle Fine Arts. Viewing fee is $5. According to the press release, “Love him or hate him, Jerry Vile is undeniably one of the cleverest people to come out of this city,…
City Slang: Matt Dmits releases EP at Lager House
Singer/songwriter Matt Dmits will play a release show for his Bury With My Guitar EP at the Lager House on Saturday, May 19. The bill also includes Doop & the Inside Outlaws and Pat V & the Detroit 3. According to the press release, “Matt Dmits is a Detroit native who has been playing music…
Orange Roughies – Junk Monkeys – Hippodrome – 5.5.12
The gravity of the event is hard to avoid, much as I resent cliched hyperboles employed by articles that tout big reunions… Still, think of it, it’s been 21 years since The Orange Roughies have played a show – that’s enough time for any young heavy-hearted pop-loving, new-wave-leaning post-punk romantic to have been born, raised,…
City Slang: Mike Watt on and off bass
Mike Watt of the Stooges, plus the Minutemen and fIREHOSE, has just put out a book of his photographs, enhanced by some punk and travel related anecdotes, called On and Off Bass, via Three Rooms Press. Now, we wouldn’t blame you if that immediately set your warning alarms off. A rock ‘n’ roller with a…
Computer Perfection’s Exploration… / Duende & Lakeside’s Last Days
Happy Friday, friends and freaks… Behold …a Computer Perfection/Dan Demaggio exploration, titled “Boby Tarlow” – a music video for a single from the Detroit-based prog-prodding space-pop-cadets’ 2011 EP. A “technicolor origami…” splattering, re-splattering and un-splattering the mind as we musically muse upon the metaphysical possibilities and ludicrous lunacies precipitated by the ethereal/rumored existence of some…
Burnin Down The Lodge: Back to when CD-R’s made your case
For a minute there, I thought I was going to miss CD-R’s… But then, had I really, yet, at all? Busy day, yesterday. Bustling. Found respite inside the ol’ organic foods shoppe, the place down the street I call Carrots-a-Go-Go, where a friend of mine handed me a burned copy of David Bowie’s Lodger. I…
City Slang: Daniel Harrison and the $2 Highway unleash album at New Dodge
Alt-country rockers Daniel Harrison and the $2 Highway will celebrate the release of the debut CD Humidity at the New Dodge in Hamtramck on May 18. Cover is $8, and the bill also includes the Wall Clocks, Shotgun Soul and Jesse Passage. According to a statement, “Daniel Harrison and the $2 Highway is a not-so-traditional…
The Pirates! Band of Misfits
The Pirates! Band of Misfits Director: Peter Lord. Starring: Hugh Grant, Martin Freeman, Brendon Gleeson. Rated: PG. Running time: 127 minutes. B A jolly good time is had by all who fly the Jolly Roger in this zippy bit of animated whimsy that wreaks havoc with history just for the bloody good fun of…
Boy
Boy Director: Taika Waititi. Starring: James Rolleston, Taika Waititi. Running time: 87 minutes. B+ Boy is a warm, curiously endearing coming-of-age story set in that that now quaint and vanished epoch when Michael Jackson could be praised — without a shred of irony or melancholy — as the most amazing person on Earth. The…
Poet in the Warzone-Afghanistan 2012 M.L. Liebler Rides the Kabul Beat
I just finished a conference call with The US State Department in preparation of my departure to Afghanistan next Thursday evening. They informed me of some of the type of programs I can expect to be doing while I am in country. It looks like I will visit a couple of universities, some ACCESS Programs…
City Slang: Amy Gore and Jack White news
Amy Gore & Her Valentines has started a Kickstarter campaign with the aim of raising $4,500 to record their debut album. Gore says, “The record will be 12 songs total, 10 original songs, all recorded at Rustbelt Studios with Al Sutton… We’ve been working on this album without the financial backing of a label, which…
Get a Death Grip…
Too much noise out there today. …Much to sift through… Apples profits are way way up…boosted, surely, in no small way from the flush of music downloads via those iPads and iPhones purchased up in a swarm over the last two years. Jack White added another show at the Masonic last week and this morning…
City Slang: Jennifer Westwood and the Waycross Georgia Farmboys live
Recent City Slang star Jennifer Westwood is a busy country girl. As well as her own blossoming solo career, she has started a band with Dylan Dunbar and Jackson Smith called the Waycross Georgia Farmboys. Where the Georgia connection comes from, we’re not sure. But in front of a sparse crowd at the New Dodge…
Nutritional Value – Reader’s Choice
Best New Restaurant Best Beer Selection in a Restaurant One-Eyed Betty’s Beer Bar & Kitchen 175 W. Troy St., Ferndale; 248-808-6633; oneeyedbettys.com One-Eyed Betty holds an impressive collection of craft brews, around 45 drafts and 85 bottled beers. Betty’s food is luscious, filling and inexpensive. The gargantuan burger is gilded with garlic aioli, melting cheddar,…
Real Deal – Staff Picks
Best Century-Old Business Reborn Under a New Name R. Hirt Jr.’s retail store 2468 Market St., Detroit; 313-831-2020 Longtime patrons of Detroit’s Eastern Market got a good scare last year with the announcement that the venerable R. Hirt Jr. company, founded in 1887 and run by four generations of the same family, was closing its…
Spend the Night – Staff Picks
Best Art Gallery Vim and Vigor Whitdel Arts 1250 Hubbard St., Detroit; info@whitdelarts.com; whitdelarts.com Whitdel Arts set out to be a gallery that wouldn’t feel too much like a gallery. Yet it’s still pretty much a gallery — art will hang on the walls or media will project onto screens or elaborate installations will hang…
Public Square – Reader’s Choice
Best Local Music Festival Movement Hart Plaza, Detroit; movement.us Since the turn of the millennium, the festival formerly known as DEMF has brought the best electronic music artists to Detroit, while highlighting the incredible local talent. It’s like a big love-in with a light show, an opportunity for like-minded souls to gather and dance like…
Spend the Night – Reader’s Choice
Best Bar for Under 30 The Wurst Bar 705 W. Cross St., Ypsilanti; 743-485-6720; wurstbarypsi.com. When someone says that a bar’s a "total sausage-fest" the allusion is to an establishment where horned-up young dudes go to unfurl sexual exploits over beers the size of their biceps (or so they’d like to think) and take turns…
Real Deal – Reader’s Choice
Best Indie Women’s Clothing, Wayne County Best Indie Men’s Clothing, Wayne County Showtime 5708 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-875-9280; showtimedetroit.com For nearly 25 years, this Midtown staple and perennial winner has supplied threads to Detroit’s musicians, performers and entertainers — and the scenesters who follow in their wake. But it’s not all leather and lace…
Public Square – Staff Picks
Best Example of Journalism Shaking Things Up WXYZ-TV’s "Wayne County Confidential" series Back in September, WXYZ’s investigative team broke the story that Turkia Mullin, newly hired to be director of the Wayne County Airport Authority, received a $200,000 severance payment as she was leaving her post as the cash-strapped county’s economic development director. Wayne County…
Best of Detroit 2012
Who cares what you think? We do. That’s why, year after year, we ask you, the readers of Metro Times, what’s tops. Thankfully, year after year, our readers surprise us with more than 1,000 responses, telling us exactly where to go and what to do when we’re looking for the best. And though the Best…
Nutritional Value – Staff Picks
Best New Restaurant Bella Piatti 167 Townsend St., Birmingham; 248-494-7110; bellapiattirestaurant.com Far too many restaurants lose sight of the complete dining experience. Not Bella Piatti, this year’s clear standout among newcomers. The shareable plates and upbeat space are fun, the food is consistently delicious, the wine, beer and cocktails are thoughtfully selected, and the servers…
Glycerine queen, forever!
Suzi Quatro might’ve been playing with the Pleasure Seekers and, later, Cradle with her sisters in Detroit during the much-celebrated Grande Ballroom era, but it wasn’t until later — after she was spotted by Mickie Most, the producer for Jeff Beck and Donovan, and shipped over to England during the T-Rex-led glitter era — that…
Best Seafood Restaurant, Oakland County
TIE Lily’s Seafood 410 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak; 248-591-5459; lilysseafood.com Mitchell’s Fish Market 370 N. Adams, Rochester Hills; 248-340-5900; mitchellsfishmarket.com Straight from the kitchen of "Grandma Lily," Lily’s offers a stunning interior, friendly service and a dedication to homemade food. Even the beverage menu includes house-brewed beer and root beer for the kids. Both…
Best Lesbian Bar
1641 Middlebelt Rd., Inkster; 734-729-8980 For several years, Saturday nights have been a draw for hundreds of women who make their way to mix, mingle and make out. But throughout the week, this absolutely fabulous bar offers male and female impersonators, gay and lesbian bands, singers and comedians. Yeah, this Stilletto is one-size-fits-all.Â
Best Slider, Macomb County
See whitecastle.com for dozens of locations This year, the white-enamel-steel-clad mini-burger chain only won out in two counties instead of the near sweep they achieved some years! Their website’s helpful Find-a-Castle function will help you when you have your next craving.
Best Thai Cuisine, Washtenaw County
4896 Washtenaw Ave., Ann Arbor; 734-528-5588; tuptim.com Coconut ginger soup, fried tofu (light and crunchy with a peanut dipping sauce), nam prik pao and other hard-to-find authentic dishes are served at this laid-back Thai restaurant.
Best Seafood Restaurant, Washtenaw County
341 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 888-456-3463; realseafoodcorestaurant.com A hot spot for the freshest top-catch fish and premium seafood for 37 years and counting. With an atmosphere that’s comfortable, open and lively, it draws its catches from the waters of Boston, the Pacific Coast, the Great Lakes and the Gulf of Mexico. One highlight is…
Best Casino Slots
1777 3rd St., Detroit; 313-465-1777; mgmgranddetroit.com Talk about a sure bet! Wow! Just about sweeping the casino categories, taking the top prize for guaranteed fun and potentially lucrative slots, craps, and poker tables, MGM Grand, with its amazing restaurants and dance clubs, is far and away Detroit’s favorite casino.
Best Cheap Breakfast, Wayne County
488 Selden St., Detroit; 313-832-5646 honestjohnsdetroit.com Honest John’s brings in all types: hipsters wearing big glasses, students, working stiffs, the occasional cop, even a doctor or two. You can get a full breakfast for $5 or $6 — omelets bursting with veggies and cheese, steaming French toast with turkey sausage or grilled cheese on Texas…
Best Dive Bar, Wayne County
3930 Cass Ave., Detroit; 313-831-3830 With a garden out back that provides the perfect place for Movement Festival day parties and nighttime bonfires, this Vietnam Vet bar indoctrinates you in Cass Corridor culture. The drinks are stiff, the service comes more with a smirk than a smile, and you never know what sort of eccentric…
Best Wine Selection in a Store, Macomb County
7001 Chicago Rd., Warren; 586-978-9463; champanes.com Champane’s describes its knowledgeable staff as "partly clairvoyant," able to discern what a shopper desires with just a few, adroit questions. It’s a trait no doubt appreciated by customers overwhelmed by the store’s massive selection of Michigan-made brews and little-known craft beers. And that’s not even mentioning the huge…
Best Sports Bar
Chesterfield, Ferndale, Sterling Heights; rosieogradysirishpub.com Finally, a sports bar that presents every game from every sport around the world on at least one of their fleet of TVs (the televisions at the Ferndale location numbers in the hundreds; each booth comes with its own built-in flat-screen). Grady’s has become quite the spot to gather as…
Best Fetish Party or Fetish Night
4710 Cass Ave., Detroit; 313-974-7669; midtownshangri-la.com Dim Sum translates to "little piece of the heart," referring to the bite-size portions of steamed or fried dumplings, noodles, braised meats, seafood and vegetables. And at Shangri-La’s Detroit location, every day there are about 40 items, perfect for sharing, passed on rolling carts at lunchtime and available for…
Best Nickname for Wayne County Exec Robert Ficano
Crook was the most frequent suggestion, with numerous variations on that theme and variations speculating on the end of his time in office, such as "Soon to be gone" and "Soon to be indicted" and "Ficano the Former." On the other hand, if he rides out political controversy, an FBI probe and a grand jury…
Best Place to Buy Jeans
See oldnavy.gap.com for dozens of locations Whether you’re looking for skinny or boot-cut, straight-leg or flare, Old Navy has your denim. Most jeans average about $30 a pair, but some dip as low as $15 or $20. Choose between dark and faded, distressed and clean-cut, or get a pair of each. You can shop in-store…
Best Place to See an Indie Film
118 N. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-263-2111; landmarktheaters.com Like the zombies that sometimes terrorize the Midnight Movies during the theater’s summer lineup, you just simply cannot kill the Main Art Theatre. Year after year, rumors of the Main’s demise run wild, yet the swell old gal remains the premier — and often only — place…
Best Beer
Bell’s Brewery / Bell’s Oberon 8938 Krum Ave., Galesburg; 269-382-2338; bellsbeer.com When Larry Bell got his brewery up and running in the ’80s, did he know what an institution it would become? How many beer drinkers thought Blue Moon, Killian’s and Newcastle were as far outside the vast landscape of domestic lager we were allowed…
Best Dive Bar, Washtenaw County
112 W. Liberty, Ann Arbor; 734-662-8757;alleybarannarbor.com Around in various incarnations since 1941, the Tap Room has long been a staple drink spot in Ypsilanti. Today, with Michigan unbeatable beer and drink deals that can’t be beat, open-mic nights, and some fine obligatory karaoke, this bar is dimly lit, offering just enough light to play a…
Best Steak, Wayne County
1128 Washington Blvd., Detroit; 313-961-2500; roastdetroit.com Roast really puts a lot of care and effort into its steaks? They’re fine cuts of beef, all naturally raised and dry-aged, cooked over a wood-fired rotisserie. What’s more, the poultry and seafood dishes receive just as much love and care. And then there are the inspired touches that…
Best Dog Park
2301 W. Clarkston Rd. (dog park entrance on Joslyn Road between Clarkston and Scripps roads), Lake Orion; 248-858-0906; destinationoakland.com/parksandtrails Orion Oaks has a 24-acre fenced enclosure where dogs can socialize off their leashes and experience two hiking trails, a large field area and lake access for swimming. If your pup is afraid of the water,…
Best Food Truck
313-720-0360; elguapogrill.com The first modern food truck allowed in downtown Detroit by the city government. Its menu includes creative variations on south-of-the-border specialties — such as the pork belly confit taco and Korean short rib taco, both customer favorites.
Best Brewpub or Microbrewery, Wayne County
470 W. Canfield St., Detroit; 313-832-2700; motorcitybeer.com This brewpub has a quirky tiled interior, with its concrete bar, its Wednesday-night art shows, and its sturdy menu of pizzas and small plates. For less than $10, you can get a pizza made with ingredients as local as possible. The excellent beers include classics and a rotating…
Best Karaoke, Washtenaw County
625 N. Huron St., Ypsilanti; 743-484-1484 This is a dart league bar. If you’re not sure what that means, leave now. Other than the dart thing, Powell’s Pub is an everyman’s drinking den, your home away from home. Domestic beers run you the price of a few hours in the parking meter. And each and…
Best Dining on Wheels
211 W. Washington St., Ann Arbor;  markscartsannarbor.com. Pop quiz, hotshot: Margie from accounting doesn’t like Indian, but Brian in the next cubicle hates her suggestion of Thai food, and they’re looking at you for the final word on lunch. What do you do? What do you do? If you’re in Ann Arbor, you calm…
Best Greek Cuisine
558 Monroe St., Detroit; 313-964-6800; pegasustavernas.com Pegasus is a charming restaurant that serves authentic and flavorful Greek recipes. Even the most simple of dishes, such as the vegetarian platter, are cooked to perfection — full of hearty spices and herbs that are sure to satisfy your taste buds. For meat eaters, the lamb is tender…
Best Authentic Chinese
116 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-995-1786; kaigarden.com Ask for the "Hong Kong and Taiwan" menu, which caters to the many Chinese students and faculty in town, and prepare for the real deal: spicy pig’s ear, double-cooked pork belly, steamed ginger chicken, pomfret or steamed sole cooked whole and deconstructed on your plate (the best).…
Best Store for Musical Instruments
for more locations, see guitarcenter.com This frequent readers’ pick offers all the latest gear by the biggest names, as well as a mammoth used selection and online access to the rare and valuable guitars of vintage collections located in Nashville, New York and Hollywood. Shoppers can get merch for a steal thanks to clearances on…
Best Karaoke, Macomb County
30200 Van Dyke Ave., Warren; 586-751-7883; limelightsportsbar.com The self-proclaimed "Home of Detroit’s Longest Happy Hour" which extends from the utterly jubilant hours of 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., the Limelight is the kind of bar that wants to keep you once they get their hands on you. It’s an easy enough task with tallboy mugs…
Best Indie Men’s Clothing, Washtenaw County
336 S. State St., Ann Arbor; 734-761-6207; bivouacannarbor.com For more than 40 years, Bivouac has supplied stylish hikers and campers with both top-notch gear and high-end fashions. While it seems like an odd combo, the formula has obviously worked — the shop occupies three storefronts and multiple floors, laying claim to passionately loyal customers whose…
Real Deal – Staff Choice
Best Century-Old Business Reborn Under a New Name R. Hirt Jr.’s retail store 2468 Market St., Detroit; 313-831-2020 Longtime patrons of Detroit’s Eastern Market got a good scare last year with the announcement that the venerable R. Hirt Jr. company, founded in 1887 and run by four generations of the same family, was closing its…
Best Gift Shop, Washtenaw County
122 W. Michigan Ave., Ypsilanti; 734-483-2291; therocketypsi.com The Rocket specializes in the twin childhood joys of candy and gag gifts, pairing a huge selection of bulk candy (including such retro favorites as root beer barrels and rock candy) with an assortment of humorous novelty gifts and toys. The themes of pirates, zombies, bacon and mustaches…
Best Independent Grocery Store, Washtenaw County
2103 W. Stadium Blvd., Ann Arbor; 734-996-8111; arborfarms.com For better or worse, your health is connected to what you eat — a fact not ignored at Arbor Farms. Since 1979, this Ann Arbor grocer has specialized in foods that are both good tasting and good for you, including local and organic produce, sustainably harvested seafood…
Best Indie Coffeehouse, Wayne County
2124 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-638-2989; astrodetroit.com Calling Astro Coffee a coffee shop doesn’t do it justice. Superb coffee, food and community spirit all abound in this excellent, comfortable neighborhood café. Exposed brick, high ceilings, and eclectic furniture create a fun, approachable space. And the food is local, fresh, seasonal and delicious.
Best Romantic Restaurant, Wayne County
1128 Washington Blvd., Detroit; 313-961-2500; roastdetroit.com Roast covers every detail, from the complimentary coat check to the elegant white linens. Floor-to-ceiling windows afford views of Washington Boulevard. But all this elegance doesn’t mean you can’t dress casually to enjoy Roast’s bounty. And then there’s the steak: fine cuts of beef, all naturally raised and dry-aged,…
Best Place to Get Wedding Photos that Pop
661 Kensington Ave., Ferndale; 248-962-3339; stereoghost3d.com It’s becoming a widely accepted truth that everything is infinitely more awesome in 3-D — including those wedding or graduation photos you need to have taken. Stereoghost, a new company headed by local photographer and technical artist Chris Dean, offers custom 3-D photographs of anything you like, including people…
Best Place to Record Shop on Foot
Crate-diggers, rejoice! Hamtramck has a clutch of three excellent record shops within walking distance of one another. On Caniff, there’s Record Graveyard (2926 Caniff St.; 313-870-9647; 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Saturday), which crams in a pretty comprehensive selection of rock, pop and jazz, as well as old show tunes, comedy, spoken word and soundtracks. They’re in…
Public Square – Staff Picks
Best Example of Journalism Shaking Things Up WXYZ-TV’s "Wayne County Confidential" series Back in September, WXYZ’s investigative team broke the story that Turkia Mullin, newly hired to be director of the Wayne County Airport Authority, received a $200,000 severance payment as she was leaving her post as the cash-strapped county’s economic development director. Wayne County…
Best Jewelry Repair
2417 Rochester Rd., Royal Oak; 248-585-6950; minersden.com Whether it’s a priceless family heirloom or an item with strictly sentimental value, Miner’s Den will give it the necessary lovin’ to make it good as new. Up-to-date technology and years of experience mean that Miner’s can tackle almost any repair problem on any type and style of…
Best Vintage Clothing, Oakland County
510 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak; 248-548-6154; lostandfoundvintage.com Every vintage lover should know this downtown Royal Oak shop, which features three levels of one-of-a-kind wearables from every decade of the 20th century. The friendly staff is always willing to help shoppers dig through the racks to locate the perfect ’70s jumpsuit, ’50s housedress or retro…
Best Barbecue, Washtenaw County
207 W. Michigan Ave., Ypsilanti; 734-340-2381; redrockypsi.com Freshly opened, Red Rock is a cozy barbecue joint decorated with an exposed brick and wood interior. They serve up the classics: brisket sandwiches, tender ribs, creamy mac and cheese, and more. They also offer a nice beer selection to go with your ‘cue.
Best Bar for Under 30
705 W. Cross St., Ypsilanti; 743-485-6720; wurstbarypsi.com. When someone says that a bar’s a "total sausage-fest" the allusion is to an establishment where horned-up young dudes go to unfurl sexual exploits over beers the size of their biceps (or so they’d like to think) and take turns hitting on the handful of women who either…
Best Small Plates
300 Town Center Drive, inside the Henry hotel, Dearborn; 313-253-4475; triadearbornrestaurant.com Tria encourages experimentation with its combo of small sizes and smallish prices. Dinner guests can try nibbling plates of five spreads and snacks for $12 (such as olive tapenade, marinated olives and nuts). Or get one Black Angus slider with red onion jam and…
Best Gift Shop, Oakland County
3117 W. 12 Mile Rd., Berkley; 248-336-2030 203 E. University, Rochester; 248-650-3318; catchingfireflies.com Cute, clever and colorful is probably the best way to describe Catching Fireflies. Its potpourri of giftable goodies includes home decor, kids’ stuff, jewelry, books, bath products, pet items and more. Products range from artful to whimsical and humorous to sentimental. Now…
Best Poet for Busy People
Not that he can’t stretch out, but Mikolowski’s poems can make haikus seem long-winded by 10, 15, even 16 syllables. Even as he cuts down the reading time, the reader still needs to have time to ponder, and if you can’t give even that, you’re too busy for poetry or art and can skip a…
Best Nickname for Macomb County Exec Mark Hackel
Also: "Mark Shackle," "Mackerel," "Hacky," "The Hackster," etc.Â
Best Crêperie
15 E. Kirby St., Detroit; 877-727-4727 14929 Charlevoix St., Grosse Pointe; 313-331-2425; goodgirlsgotopariscrepes.com The traditional French pancake gets an American treatment at this stylish eatery. Each crêpe takes almost four minutes, from careful pouring to when it is handed to the customer. Some come savory, some sweet, but given the variety of choices, nobody will…
Best Reason We Still Have a Hoedown in Motown
The Downtown Hoedown celebrates its 30th anniversary this summer, meaning Detroit undeniably was country before country was cool. But think about it: How many cities south of the Mason-Dixon would relish the idea of stealing away such a massive outdoor musical tradition and claiming it as their own — indeed, believe it should be their…
Best Thai Cuisine, Oakland County
323 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-548-5373 Warm and unpretentious, Bangkok Café offers fluffy noodles dishes, spicy curries and combo options that include house-made soup and fried rice. The kitchen upholds standards of quality, which means no dish is a misfire. Better yet, prices are budget-friendly and portions leave room for leftovers.
Detroit Public Square – Readers Choice
Best Local Music Festival Movement Hart Plaza, Detroit; movement.us Since the turn of the millennium, the festival formerly known as DEMF has brought the best electronic music artists to Detroit, while highlighting the incredible local talent. It’s like a big love-in with a light show, an opportunity for like-minded souls to gather and dance like…
Best New Player for Lions To Pick Up
Hey, Tim, after the wildcard round game in the playoffs against Pittsburgh, when you threw that game-winning touchdown seconds into overtime, all of America gave a collective sigh of shock and surprise, an existential moment of "WTF?!" But face it, you’d simply be another lucky quarterback if it weren’t for your public beliefs and theatrics.…
Tie between Middle Kingdom and San Fu
TIE Middle Kingdom 332 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-668-6638; annarbormiddlekingdom.net San Fu 625 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-668-4787; everydaychinesefood.com Middle Kingdom serves up Americanized fare, such as sesame chicken, chow mein and spicy shrimp, and even grander dishes, such as lobster. San Fu, however, is a popular takeout spot for students, serving the…
Best Raw Food
204 W. Fourth St., Royal Oak; 248-336-9043; www.cacaotreecafe.com We are continually being warned about foods that are harmful to our well-being, those containing too much fat, too much lactose, too many hormones and preservatives. When shelf stability is more important than healthfulness, making the right choices becomes difficult. Amber Puopore, owner of the Cacao Tree…
Best Concert of 2011
Alright, so Detroit radio station WKNR-FM played a big part in the ’69 rumor that Paul McCartney was dead. Sorry, Macca. Thankfully he was, as he is now, alive and well, and you guys justifiably voted his Comerica Park show of July 24 last year as the best gig of the past 12 months. "It’s…
Best Place to See a Mainstream Film
200 N. Main St., Royal Oak; 888-319-3456;             www.emagine-entertainment.com After an impressive run of roughly a jillion wins in a row, the Uptown Palladium has been dethroned as your favorite popcorn palace, replaced by a flashy newcomer that made a major splash with its…
Best Indie Lingerie Shop
265 S. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham; 248-642-2555;harps-lingerie.com At Harp’s, it’s all about the fit. With 65 years of experience in the lingerie biz, this downtown Birmingham shop can outfit any lady with the lingerie that perfectly holds it up, sucks it in, smoothes it out or turns it on. The store offers a wide variety…
Best Seafood Restaurant, Wayne County
GM Global Renaissance Center, #1404, Detroit 313-567-6837; joemuerseafood.com While Joe Muer Seafood is relatively new, the Muer brand, going back to 1929, is known throughout southeast Michigan. But the relaunched institution also has a big staff, big menu and big dessert cart. There are a number of offerings from a fairly classic raw bar, including…
Best Grow Shop
2518 Market St., Detroit; 313-394-0441; more locations at tcs-hydroponics.com Cultivation Station provides a variety of indoor and outdoor gardening supplies perfectly suited for whatever strain of green you’re cultivating. The staff is more than willing to bring its expertise to bear on helping both green-thumbed gardeners and growing amateurs set up their very own custom…
GOP: Party of hate
Want to know how unhappy I am with the constant stream of lies and smears told by the Republicans? How angry at their open threats to take away reproduction rights and the health-care safety net Americans finally won? Not to mention their gleeful, open intention to continue stealing from the poor to give to the…
Best Brewpub Food
311 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-913-2730;  jollypumpkin.com One of the state’s finest breweries, Jolly Pumpkin, opened a restaurant in Ann Arbor a couple of years ago. Food at many brewpubs is notoriously mediocre, so it was a pleasant surprise when their menu featured some genuinely delicious fare. Clog your arteries with a mammoth…
Best Place for a 40-Ounce and Grub at Closing Time
488 Selden St., Detroit; 313-832-5646; honestjohnsdetroit.com If, like us, you’re into cheap buzzes and greasy-delicious, hangover-minimizing meals at night’s end, take note: Honest John’s kitchen swings its doors until 2 a.m. (Oh, why don’t other local watering holes do same?) Also, they serve up your basic 40 of Old Milwaukee, which works mighty sweetly in…
Best Drinking Trend
The cocktail is to drinks what jazz is to music — our distinctly American contribution to the art form. For decades, that heritage was obscured by shelves of flavored vodka and gallons of artificial food coloring. No longer. Sure, Detroit caught up to the craft cocktail resurgence a bit late, but 2011 was unquestionably our…
Best Deli, Wayne County
1300 Porter St., Detroit; 313-961-2000; mudgiesdeli.com This Corktown spot used to be the old Eph McNally’s, and they carry on the sandwich tradition with a slew of options. The sandwiches are grand; one contains turkey, apple-wood-smoked bacon, avocado, tomato, romaine lettuce and melted pepper jack cheese layered on an 8-inch-sub spread with Mudgie-made garlic mayo.
Best Casino to See a Show
2901 Grand River Ave., Detroit; 313-237-7711; motorcitycasino.com Sound Board is an increasingly popular venue inside the Motor City Casino, hosting the likes of Hall and Oates, Boys II Men, Steve Martin, and epic throwback shows such as this summer’s Summerland concert, which, for one night, will take us back to 1998 with Everclear, SugarRay, the…
Best Sea Change
400 Renaissance Center, #1404, Detroit; 313-567-6837; joemuerseafood.com While there are certainly references to the past — shrimp in an almond casino butter and Dover sole a la Meuniere, servers in white tuxedo jackets and tiered dessert carts rolling through the dining room — Joe Muer hasn’t just been reborn, it’s been reinvented. With an eclectic…
Best Pizza, Macomb County
Dozens of locations in metro Detroit; more than 20 locations in Macomb County; see jetspizza.com for info Jets’ deep-dish, square, Detroit-style pizza is a regular crowd-pleaser. But it’s not just a Macomb County thing; with locations all over the metroplex — as well as Michigan, Florida, North Carolina, Ohio and Tennessee. How do they do…
Best Retro Store with Retro Soundtrack
23700 Woodward Ave., Pleasant Ridge; 248-414-7440 126 E. 14 Mile Rd., Clawson; 248-589-0500; regenerationclothing.org The staff at Regeneration can be pretty tough, but not on their prices — a win-win, pretty much. Sure, they didn’t want my dad’s polyester button-up with its gaudily accentuated collar, or his tar-spotted pair of holey Levi’s, but that’s because…
Best Bar for Trivia Night
5169 Trumbull St., Detroit; 313-833-2701;woodbridgepub.com If you thought handcrafted cocktails were a popular bar fad, you haven’t been paying attention to the swarming, sloshing popularity of bar trivia. You bring your friends, we bring our friends, they bring their friends and we get together in small groups, drink copiously and compete against gangs of strangers,…
Best Caribbean Cuisine
19600 Haggerty Rd., Livonia; 734-542-0891; see bahamabreeze.com for more locations Decorated in tropical decor for the Hawaiian-shirts set, this chain restaurant brings you American-friendly Caribbean-style fare. Think coconut shrimp and jerk chicken. The island-themed alcoholic beverages, such as the BahamaRita, are crowd-pleasers.
Best Florist
1260 Library St., Detroit; 313-964-5777 503 E. Nine Mile, Ferndale; 248-398-5130; blumz.com Between them, the two owners of Blumz have more than 50 years in the floral biz, and it shows in the fresh, long-lasting flowers and eye-catching, artistic arrangements. While colorful, creatively displayed blossoms are Blumz’ raison d’être, the shop also holds classes, hosts…
Best Menu Overhaul
155 S. Bates St., Birmingham; 248-731-7066; tallulahwine.com Overhaul might be a strong word, but there’s no doubting that Tallulah Wine Bar in Birmingham has changed over the past year. With a new chef and a new sommelier has come a superior overall approach. At the bar, the drinks have improved mightily, embracing the movement (back)…
Best Indie Furniture Store
TIE Leon & Lulu’s 96 W. 14 Mile Rd., Clawson; 248-288-3600; leonandlulu.com Bright Ideas 220 S. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-541-9940 22110 Telegraph Rd., Southfield; 248-352-5811; brightideasfurniture.com With two such perfect options for Best Indie Furniture Store, it’s no wonder our readers couldn’t decide. Located in the old Ambassador Roller Rink in downtown Clawson, Leon…
Best Restaurant to Spend Less Than $50, Macomb County
16981 18 Mile Rd., Clinton Twp.; 586-416-3501; jbaldwins.com Jeff Baldwin, the respected chef who presided over the kitchens at the Whitney and Van Dyke Place, owns this casual eatery that elegantly presents about 30 entrées daily, along with a variety of sauces and accoutrements. Among the entrées are crusty pizzas cooked in a stone oven,…
Best Rock Club
pjslagerhouse.com Spending regular time at PJ’s Lager House would lead you to believe that upstanding and locally focused American rock clubs are alive and well. We’re spoiled and we know it: It’s one of the few perks of being a Detoiter. And PJ has done one hell of a job making sure that the Lager’s…
Freep flap
Steve Neavling, a five-year Detroit Free Press veteran who has covered the City Hall beat for the past two years, announced last week via Twitter that he’d been fired. He isn’t going away quietly. "If you support independent, objective journalism, boycott @freep for firing a reporter who stood up against city hall," Neavling wrote on…
Best Comic Book Shop, Macomb County
32032 Utica Rd., Fraser; 586-296-2758 861 E. Auburn Rd., Rochester; 248-852-3356 This veteran eastside shop has been supplying the funny book faithful for nearly 30 years. Comix Corner is truly all about the comics, man — no toys or action figures here — with an established following of devoted customers who praise the shop’s selection,…
Best Slogan for Metro Detroit
Some distinct themes here. For instance, finding other cities to look down on ("At least we’re not Flint, Cleveland, Cincinnati"), talking tough ("I’m a Detroiter … bitches," "Where we chew up our kids before we spit them out," "We have packs of wild dogs, do you?" "Stick ’em up," "Enter at your own risk"), snappy…
Best Late-Night Eatery
30967 Woodward Ave., Royal Oak; 248-655-1080; more locations at leosconeyisland.com Leo’s extensive menu features American, Greek and Italian foods and stays open till 10 p.m. Whether you’re heading out or heading home, Leo’s is sure to add a little flavor to your evening.
Best Old-School Italian
3401 Riopelle St., Detroit; 313-831-5940; romacafe.com For the last couple decades, the majority of new Italian restaurants have anxiously tried to distinguish themselves from their "inauthentic" older cousins, aka red-sauce joints. You know, the places where most of the dishes have a thick blanket of mozzarella, and where you’ll unfailingly find familiar standbys such as…
Best Draft Selection in a Bar
175 W. Troy Ave., Ferndale; 248-808-6633; oneyedbettys.com Congrats, Betty! What a momentous, game-changing award for One-Eyed Betty’s, a fresh and welcome addition to Detroit’s ever-evolving beer and live music scene: a tasteful and unpretentious beer house, where you can enjoy brews from around the state and around the world. The service is solid, and the…
Best Place to Outfit
660 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 248-217-0058; hosierywithstyle.com Are pantyhose passé? Are bare legs the new black? If you answered yes to either of these questions, one trip to this specialty boutique inside the First National Building will quickly change your mind. Stockings don’t have to be dull necessities that turn your legs the unnatural hue of…
Best Example of Journalism Shaking
Back in September, WXYZ’s investigative team broke the story that Turkia Mullin, newly hired to be director of the Wayne County Airport Authority, received a $200,000 severance payment as she was leaving her post as the cash-strapped county’s economic development director. Wayne County Executive Bob Ficano immediately began stonewalling and obfuscating as the scandal exploded,…
Best Vodka
161 Vester St., Ferndale; 248-629-9951; valentinevodka.com Who would’ve guessed that vodka would have turned out to be such a lucrative venture in a down economy? A guy who worked on Wall Street and then moved back to his native state with the mission of perfecting the ancient art of vodka distillation, a process he feels…
Best Beer Selection in a Store, Washtenaw County
114 E. William St., Ann Arbor; 734-623-4430 annarborbeerdepot.com The Beer Depot is a beer geek’s paradise, featuring more than 750 kinds of the frothy beverage. Whether you prefer stouts, lagers, IPAs or just want to search out new and unusual brews, the Depot is bound to have something that will satisfy your thirst. In business…
Best Romantic Restaurant, Washtenaw County
121 W. Washington St., Ann Arbor; 734-994-0211; theearle.com The Earle is the perfect spot for a candlelit dinner for two. Live jazz music accompanies your meal on weekends. The menu includes French- and Italian-inspired entrées, such as escargot vol-au-vent, salmon pate with cognac, baked goat cheese and duck. Choose from an extensive, award-winning wine list.
Best Beach
31300 Metropolitan Parkway, Harrison Township; 586-463-4332; metroparks.com Known for decades as "Metro Beach" (the designation was formally changed this year), this 750-acre peninsula, which protrudes into Lake St. Clair, attracts a variety of beach lovers. But that’s only part of the attraction. There’s a par-3 golf course, putt-putt golf, a waterpark, shuffleboard, and outdoor concerts…
Best Way to Build Community with Beer
Van Dyke between Agnes and Coe streets, Detroit; tashmoodetroit.com Early last year, this corner of Van Dyke in West Village was an empty lot with an overgrown tree in the back. It was less a place for people to hang out than to cut through to the alley. It sure wasn’t that way in the…
Best Bicycle Shop in Detroit
3611 Cass Ave., Detroit; 313-833-0813; thehubofdetroit.org An annual Best Of winner, this Cass Corridor shop sells refurbished bikes and provides repair services on the cheap in order to promote its three-pronged mission: youth development, sustainable practices and community access. To that end, the Hub and the nonprofit arm that it supports, Back Alley Bikes, offers…
Best Restaurant to Spend Less Than $15, Oakland County
3149 Crooks Rd., Troy; 248-643-2600; kalamatagreek.com Kalamata’s counter staff stays busy preparing generously portioned fresh Greek dishes. The menu includes Greek favorites — spinach pie, lemon rice soup, gyros and Greek lasagna — all for no more than $10. House-grilled pitas are available with most dishes.
Best TV Morning Show Personality
FOX2 (WJBK); myfoxdetroit.com Throw around all the tired PR adjectives you want about local media goobs — gregarious, pretty, well-spoken, titans of journalistic excellence, etc. — but how many local TV newscasters and hosts can possibly live up to such hyperbole? Those who can are usually on the midnight train to the next bigger market…
Best New Detroit Retail Addition
1759 20th St., Detroit; 313-655-2344; detroitfarmandgarden.com Just in time for spring, the folks at Detroit Farm and Garden have opened their doors allowing the smell of damp soil, fresh mulch and fertilizer to waft out. Located in the former Third Police Precinct on Detroit’s Southwest side, DFG prides itself on filling the city’s largely unmet…
Best Indie Women’s Clothing, Oakland County
incognitoinc.com Another MT readers’ fave, Incognito provides rock-inspired wear for the fearless trendsetter. Even if less daring fashionistas choose to avoid leopard-print, body-hugging jeans, there are still plenty of choice pieces to choose from. Incognito also offers an extensive selection of eyewear, as well as an entire separate room devoted to footwear, featuring the latest…
Best Chinese Cuisine, Wayne County
4710 Cass Ave., Detroit; 313-974-7669 Shangri-La is a low-key Asian restaurant with attentive service and a full bar. The kitchen offers traditional Chinese-American cuisine as well as roast duck, Singapore noodles and fried squid. The dim sum selections and sushi make Shangri-La a kind of one-stop shop for Asian classics.
Best Nickname for Gov. Rick Snyder
There were also numerous variations on Dick, the most tasteful being "Dictator" and the Nixonian throwback of "Tricky Dick" and the variation "Not So Slick Rick."
Best Nature or Hiking Trail
2240 W. Buno Rd., Milford; 800-477-3178; metroparks.com Seven hiking trails take you through wetlands, forests and fields. More than 253 birds species have been sighted at Kensington, including bald eagles, woodpeckers, osprey and more. Deer, badgers, weasels and other mammals can be spotted too. The trails range from a half-mile to 2.5 miles. You can…
Best Raw Food
204 W. Fourth St., Royal Oak; 248-336-9043; cacaotreecafe.com Cacao Tree’s vegan and gluten- and soy-free menu has the health-conscious crowd crowing. Favorites include the falafel, as well as the Mexican menu. Everything is made onsite from scratch, and ingredients are locally and seasonally sourced. Seats 20, with an additional juice bar.
Best Bottled Beer Selection in a Bar
175 W. Troy Ave., Ferndale; 248-808-6633; oneyedbettys.com Congrats, Betty! What a momentous, game-changing award for One-Eyed Betty’s, a fresh and welcome addition to Detroit’s ever-evolving beer and live music scene: a tasteful and unpretentious beerhouse, where you can enjoy brews from around the state and around the world. The service is solid, and the food…
Best Red Wing
Pavel Datsyuk has contributed to two Red Wing Stanley Cup victories so far (2002 and 2008). He is fast, strong, has unbelievable hands and puck control, and is considered the best two-way forward in today’s NHL. But why take our word for it? NHL players themselves are in agreement with MT readers on this one.…
Best Italian Cuisine, Oakland County
42705 Grand River Ave., Novi; 248-348-3838; see andiamoitalia.com for more locations The Andiamo mini-chain serves traditional Italian fare in an intimate setting that caters to both romantic couples and families. They serve such house-made favorites as spaghetti, lasagna and gnocchi, as well as more creative items, such as vitello con insalata portabella, a free-raised veal…
Best Dive Bar with a Cocktail Menu
2930 Jacob St., Hamtramck; 313-874-2991 Hamtramck’s Painted Lady bar has lived a long and charmed life. They’ve poured beer there since the dawn of the 20th century, and the spot attained local fame as a divey punk club named Lili’s for more than 30 years. It’s still much the same, serving cheap draft beers and…
Best Outdoor or Patio Dining, Oakland County
22812 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-548-5005 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. Como’s sheltered outdoor dining area offers a place for eating and boozing, with heating elements for added comfort on chilly…
Best Breakfast or Brunch, Macomb County
44945 Morley Dr., Clinton Twp.; 586-465-5514 58884 Van Dyke Rd., Washington; 586-677-4135; thepantryrestaurant.com Whether you’re breakfasting or brunching, Macombers agree, the Pantry is the place to go. A successful mini-chain that’s been catering to locals for years with the usual eggs, waffles and pancakes, the Pantry also offers some delicious surprises, including fresh fruit crêpes,…
Best Restaurant to Spend Less Than $50, Wayne County
2138 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-962-9828; slowsbarbq.com This nationally recognized Corktown gem is packed with faithful barbecue fans willing to wait over fancy beer or wine selections for the delicious Carolina-style pulled pork, the sharp and creamy mac-n-cheese, or the flaky catfish. And our readers voted it the best moderately priced restaurant in the county.
Best Place to See Locl Theater
22742 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-545-5545; whowantscaketheatre.com Five years ago, Joe Plambeck and Joe Bailey moved their Who Wants Cake? theater company into the Ringwald Theatre, near the corner of Nine Mile Road and Woodward Avenue in downtown Ferndale. Known for gender-bending performances of madcap subversive farce, the company has mounted productions of Fatal Attraction: A…
Best Restaraurant for Feeling Like a 19th Century Tycoon
thewhitney.com If you want to revel in an environment of bygone ostentatiousness, nothing beats a meal at the Whitney. With its 52 rooms, 10 bathrooms and 20 fireplaces, the three-story pink-granite edifice built for a lumber baron in 1894 has been one of Detroit’s most celebrated restaurants since it opened 1986. The building is unquestionably…
Best Independent Grocery Store, Oakland
447 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-546-7288; westernmarket.net Since 1983, Western Market has provided its shoppers with fresh and healthy meats, produce, deli items and grocery store staples. Western’s emphasis is on local foods, featuring a wide array of products from Michigan companies and farms. And if local isn’t an option, the family-owned store does…
Best Middle Eastern Cuisine, Wayne County
22681 Newman St., Dearborn; 313-563-7482; lapitadearborn.com This charming eatery offers traditional Middle Eastern cuisine, such as chicken shawarma and vegetarian stuffed cabbage, even such ambitious dishes as char-broiled swordfish. A full juice bar, a long list of appetizers and combinations, and the addictive hummus and pita will keep your taste buds happy.
Best Place to Try Something New
3111 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-831-2241; atlasglobalbistro.com Have you ever tried a green apple gelée? How about lemon horseradish vinaigrette? Or a chicken liver tart with celery root purée? Surely you haven’t tried duck breast with braised baby fennel and an apple cider red peppercorn sabayon? We bet you haven’t — unless you happen to have…
Best Middle Eastern Cuisine, Washtenaw County
307 S. Fifth Ave., Ann Arbor; 734-995-5060; jerusalemgarden.net Billed as Ann Arbor’s oldest Middle Eastern restaurant, Jerusalem Garden offers a cheap, quality meal to be enjoyed on their quaint, brick garden patio. Your budget and your belly will thank you for visiting one of Treetown students’ favorite haunts where you can get the basics for…
Best Breakfast or Brunch, Wayne County
1241 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-237-1000; hudson-cafe.com The Hudson Café is situated downtown, right on Woodward Avenue. Whether you’re grabbing a specialty coffee and hitting the road, enjoying a selection from the baked goods counter and relaxing in Hudson’s comfy lounge, or sitting down for graham cracker-crusted French toast with cream cheese drizzle or a create-your-own…
Best Musical Open-Mic or Jam Session
1 E. 14 Mile Rd., Clawson; 248-577-1878 When it comes to a good jam, our readers put the entertainment at this Clawson microbrewery over the top. Past acts on the stage have included the Brothers Groove, Black Bottom Collective, Sean Blackman and more. In addition to hosting various entertainers some Friday and Saturday nights, Black…
Best Place to Sell Your Gold
Various locations, see tappersgold.com If you’re looking to unload some of that pesky extra gold or need a fast way to make some cash money, Tapper’s provides a secure — and lucrative — way to do just that. A fully licensed precious metal buyer, Tapper’s purchases all precious metals, diamonds, gold and silver coins, estate…
Best Introduction to Opera
1526 Broadway, Detroit; 313-237-7464; michiganopera.org There’s one more set of performances in this year’s Michigan Opera Theatre season — Ruggero Leoncavallo’s 1892 classic I Pagliacci, running May 12-20. It’s also the last chance of the season for the uninitiated to be ushered into the art form of opera by Wallace Peace, aka Dr. Opera. The…
Curtain call
The kids have been rehearsing their play for a half-hour now, yet none of them has spoken a word. It’s a spring morning, and a couple dozen students are gathered in the gym at the Detroit Day School for the Deaf, on the southbound Lodge service drive at Forest, practicing their parts in the school…
Best Comic Book Shop, Oakland County
23333 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-548-2661; detroitcomics.com This small shop packs a mighty punch, thanks to its bright, inviting interior and well-organized selection. Eschewing the stereotype of the musty, dusty and cramped comic store, Detroit Comics appeals to both comic newbies and die-hard lifers by creating an easily navigated space stocked with the latest titles, and…
Best Nickname for Mayor Dave Bing
A sampling of others: "Hoops," "Heartless," "Hero," "Lame Duck," "Nada Bing," "Slam Dunk," "Doctor of Debt," "Not Kwame," "Bus Slasher," "Tall and Timid" and "As Good as the Pistons."
Best Farmers’ Market, Washtenaw County
315 Detroit, St., Ann Arbor; 734-794-6255; a2gov.org/market; open 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday, May-December; 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays, January-April, open 4:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesdays May-September;  no dogs allowed Kerrytown’s Farmers’ Market is loaded with fresh and voluptuous fruits and veggies, but also delicious sweet treats, such as sweet potato pecan pies or creations from…
Best Radio Morning Show
CIMX-FM (88.7); 89xradio.com: What does it say about the state of Detroit radio when, despite all the high salaries, higher egos and cutthroat competition, MT readers have decreed three years in a row that the best morning radio show on the air is bottled in Windsor? We may think of our neighbors to the south…
Best View in a Restaurant
GM Global Renaissance Center, Floors 71 and 72, Detroit; 313-567-2622; theepicureangroup.com Coach Insignia is lined with floor to ceiling windows, offering a panoramic view. You can view the Detroit and Windsor riverfronts while dining at the second-highest restaurant in the country, located on the upper floors of the Renaissance Center. Even the elevator ride is…
Best Place to Buy a Car, Washtenaw County
3480 Jackson Rd., Ann Arbor; 800-291-5889; varsityford.com Family-owned since ’81, Varsity Ford places an emphasis on making the car buying process as quick and painless as dropping thousands of dollars can be. To that end, they accommodate busy shoppers by putting as much of the process online as possible, from making appointments and obtaining financing…
Best Low-Power Radio Station
11758 Sobieski St., Hamtramck; 313-718-1610; am1610.org Since May 2009, tech geek Steven Cherry has been sending low-power AM signal from his home in Hamtramck. He built a studio for the station later that year, and it regularly hosts local luminaries who create their own radio programming, with Cherry as station manager. Of course, that all…
Best Comedy Club
261 E. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-327-0575; gocomedy.net The entire Go! Comedy team meshes in a way that makes for the potentially gut-busting funny times that sardonic siblings often provide. To re-create that magic, metro Detroiters make their way to Ferndale’s Go! Comedy, the new home of improv around these here parts. Go! also offers…
Best Restaurant to Spend Less Than $15, Washtenaw County
551 S. Division St., Ann Arbor; 734-663-4590 You better order your burger just right; the menu asks you to read it properly before ordering. Yes, the staff at Blimpy Burger loves to poke fun at the customers, but it’s all in good fun — and their fresh-ground burgers are worth it. Sloppy, tender and with…
Best Cheap Breakfast, Oakland County
24060 Woodward Ave., Pleasant Ridge; 248-548-5355; maesdetroit.com For decades, this snug diner was home to Anna’s Coffee Shoppe. In 2010, the folks at Mae’s updated the little restaurant while still keeping with the 1950s charm. It’s not hard to see what our readers love about this place — cheap, quality food in a comfy neighborhood…
Best Thai Cuisine, Wayne County
3400 Russell St., Detroit; 313-831-1302 2751 E. 14 Mile Rd., Sterling Heights; 586-939-5456; salathai.us Sala Thai is known for its authentic Thai curries, noodles and rice dishes. Their pad Thai — made to order to your choice of spiciness — has just the right levels of succulence. Along with the extensive appetizer list, the menu…
Best Indie Women’s Clothing, Washtenaw County
TIE Orchid Lane 419 E. Liberty St., Ann Arbor; 734-662-6446; orchidlaneonline.com Mix 128 & 130 W. Michigan Ave., Ypsilanti; 734-961-8704 mixnewandused.com Flirty sundress, flowing wrap skirts and colorful tops are mainstays at Orchid Lane, which sells women’s clothing, home decor and natural gemstone jewelry as part of its mission to help establish a fair trade…
Best Brewpub or Microbrewery, Oakland County
22646 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-546-3696; thewabsite.com Dubbed, "a neighborhood bar with lots of style," the top floor has huge windows overlooking Woodward. Downstairs has a sidewalk café and lounge with a view of the brewhouse. WAB serves a selection of its own award-winning microbrewed beer and root beer, plus gourmet sandwiches, huge salads and more.
Best Dive Bar, Macomb Countys
TIE Sandbaggers Bar & Grill 25615 Van Dyke Ave., Center Line; 586-759-5900; sandbaggersbg.com The Alibi Bar 7266 E. Nine Mile, Warren; 586-759-3930 We don’t mind a bar with a slogan. Even if it’s kind of generic, that’s fine as long as it’s genuine. Sandbaggers is self-proclaimed place for "Good times, good food, and great friends."…
Best Brewpub or Microbrewery, Macomb County
14600 E. 11 Mile Rd., Warren; 586-776-9428; dragonmead.com Tucked away in an industrial-looking building on I-696’s service drive, inside it’s all about the beer. Dragonmead aspires to a level of sophistication, a nice mix of relaxed couples and cap-and-T guys out for a few, the sort of relaxed, friendly and affordable evening out more people…
Best Indian Cuisine, Macomb County
43734 Schoenherr Rd., Sterling Heights; 586-532-5200; michiganmasala.com Michigan Masala’s menu includes a wide-range of fresh Southern Indian tandoori, curry, seafood, lamb, vegetarian and Balti-style dishes. Dishes are served medium-spicy, but can be changed upon request.
Best Reason to Hate Mondays
2124 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-638-2989; astrodetroit.com Sure, Monday sucks for at least a half-dozen reasons. But none elicits the same inevitable wistful sigh as waking up, dragging oneself to and from the shower, and suddenly remembering that Detroit’s finest café isn’t open. Coffee junkies will miss the superior espresso, the addictive flat white, and the…
Best Club for the Libidinal (Horny) Crowd
400 Bagley St., Detroit; 313-962-2300; lelandcityclub.net A night at City Club gives you the opportunity to get out what you put in. And people put in. Evidently, they also put out. Getting confused? That’s the point, kinkster. DJ Pleasure Kitten and her cohorts rock the decks in platform boots, latex and leather to hordes of…
Best Indie Coffeehouse, Oakland County
541 Monroe St., Detroit; 313-963-9603 515 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak; 248-515-2551; five15.net It’s more than the good java, friendly folks, gift-shop-lite atmo, free Wifi and appetizing snacks that make Five15 a destination. It’s also the fun events that lend a surreal quality to your cup of coffee, such as their Friday and Saturday night…
Best Italian Cuisine, Wayne County
3401 Riopelle St., Detroit; 313-831-2253; romacafe.com Detroit’s oldest Italian restaurant serves up classic Italian dishes, including gnocchi, veal Parmesan, polenta and lasagna topped with a thick, rich tomato sauce. There is a full bar with a wide-ranging wine list. For dessert, we recommend a crisp cannoli studded with bits of chocolate and filled with sweetened,…
Best Club That’s Not Open at All
West Fort Street, Detroit Two years ago, Detroiter Patrick Jarvis and two friends pooled together a few thousand dollars and bought a building on Fort Street — apparently, just for laughs. They hadn’t realized the building was quite so decrepit, and weren’t sure what to do with the property, other than chase out the occasional…
Best Irish Bar, Kinda
1426 Bagley St., Detroit; 313-962-2121; saintceces.com So, what happens when you mix the cozy, neighborhood ambience of a proper Irish pub with a welcoming staff and a cast of regulars who remind you that not all Detroit bars obey the rules of either hipster-baiting or divey obscurity? St. Cece’s is what happens. (See, St. Cece…
Best Casino
1777 3rd St., Detroit; 313-465-1777; mgmgranddetroit.com Talk about a sure bet! Wow! Just about sweeping the casino categories, taking the top prize for guaranteed fun and potentially lucrative slots, craps, and poker tables, MGM Grand, with its amazing restaurants and dance clubs, is far and away Detroit’s favorite casino.
Best Vegan or Vegetarian Cuisine
500 E. Fourth St., Royal Oak; 248-547-7916; theinnseasoncafe.com A provider of vegetarian cuisine in metro Detroit is a rare treat, and Inn Season Café has only improved with age. Fine, organic ingredients have always been its hallmark, but it’s so much more than "health food." With great effort, they comb farmers’ markets and community supported…
Best Indie Men’s Clothing, Wayne County
5708 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-875-9280; showtimedetroit.com/span> For nearly 25 years, this Midtown staple and perennial winner has supplied threads to Detroit’s musicians, performers and entertainers — and the scenesters who follow in their wake. But it’s not all leather and lace — although there’s plenty of that — the store’s racks also come stocked with…
Best Strip Club
20771 W. Eight Mile Rd., Detroit; 313-541-7000; penthousegentlemenclub.com The undisputed king of the Eight Mile strip, the brand-name power behind the Penthouse Club catapulted it to the throne shortly after it opened. Known for attentive service, cleanliness and very good food, it’s really the roster of voluptuous and tempestuous women that maintain the club’s excellent…
Best Wine Bar
608 Woodward Ave., 2nd floor, Detroit; 313-483-7283; motorcitywine.com Up above Woodward Avenue, in a second-floor space in downtown Detroit, is the wine shop of husband-and-wife team David and Melissa Armin-Parcells. Hundreds of bottles of affordable but quality wine line the walls, and a steady stream of customers comes in, tastes a few glasses of wine,…
Best Bartender
350 Monroe St., Detroit; 313-962-4200; deluxlounge.com When we called over to Delux to find out why it is frequent visitors to this downtown lounge like the way Jay Brown gets down, we spoke to a co-worker who at first said it might be too hard to give us the gist because he thinks of the…
Hook up tenderly
Q: Is it possible for a hookup to turn into a relationship? —Hoping One Person Enters A: A hookup is a relationship, HOPE. It may be a short-term relationship, but it’s a relationship regardless. And, yes, a short-term hookup can turn into a long-term relationship, HOPE, but not if you’re treating your hookups like…
Best Independent Grocery Store, Macomb County
27900 Harper Ave., St. Clair Shores; 586-778-3650; see ninosalvaggio.com for more locations Nino Salvaggio’s roots as a fruit and vegetable market show through in the delectable produce on display, but this gourmet grocery now offers so much more than just apples and tomatoes. Hundreds of cheeses, more than 1,600 Michigan-made products, a vast array of…
Best Tequila
patronspirits.com What do contemporary country singers and rappers (and Sammy Hagar) have in common? They absolutely love tequila. Can you really blame them? So sweet and spicy, that stuff really puts a kick in your night. In the last few years, Patrón has become a favorite party-inducer and broken-heart bandage. Â
Best Use of Fake Meat
5169 Trumbull St., Detroit; 313-833-2701; woodbridgepub.com At the vast majority of America’s bars, vegetarians are lucky to have the option of a grilled cheese, some mozzarella sticks or a prefab frozen veggie burger — if anything. Fortunately, Woodbridge Pub takes its vegetarian fare as seriously as the rest of its upscale pub menu. There are…
Best Video Selection
4732 Rochester Rd., Royal Oak; 248-280-2833 thomasvideo.com Some day in the distant future, you’ll tell your grandchildren about the wondrous places known as video stores that you actually had to visit when you wanted to watch movies. While video stores already seem like an anachronism, Thomas has remained staunchly relevant to true film lovers thanks…
Best Neighborhood Music Venue
Woodbridge neighborhood, Detroit; woodbridgerecords.com Say you’re out one night wandering through Woodbridge — maybe on your way to a pal’s house, maybe on your way to Woodbridge Tavern — and your ears spot the sounds of edgy folk-rock or hip-hop-inflected guitar jams rising from an otherwise innocuous tin building at the corner of Merrick and…
Best Radio Music Show
WDET-FM (101.9); wdetfm.org She’s the franchise player around whom WDET began a few years ago to rebuild its tattered rep as a music station — complementing weekday news and talk with music-heavy wekeends. Last year, her on-air colleague Jon Moshier with his Modern Music bumped her out of her two-year run as winner here. This…
Best Microbrew
8938 Krum Ave., Galesburg; 269-382-2338; bellsbeer.com When Larry Bell got his brewery up and running in the ’80s, did he know what an institution it would become? How many beer drinkers thought Blue Moon, Killian’s and Newcastle were as far outside the vast landscape of domestic lager we were allowed to travel? Then someone introduced…
Best Bicycle Shop in the Suburbs
163 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-439-1892 downtownferndalebikeshop.com Downtown Ferndale Bike Shop proprietor Jon Hughes has bikes in his blood — he’s the third generation of his family to make a profession out of bicycling, and he spent years racing, building tracks, coaching and repairing bikes before translating his bred-in-the-bone passion into his own shop.…
Best New Restaurant
175 W. Troy St., Ferndale; 248-808-6633; oneeyedbettys.com Betty’s food is luscious, filling and inexpensive. The gargantuan burger is gilded with garlic aioli, melting cheddar, and piled with applewood-smoked bacon. Desserts include house-made donuts, hand-cut from yeast dough and deep-fried, then served with milk chocolate and raspberry sauces. All items pair perfectly with the beer selection,…
Best Local Amateur Athlete
from Detroit Derby Girls; detroitrollerderby.com Christina Iulianelli (aka Tiny Ninja) first earned her nickname doing festival catering where she impressed co-workers and clients with her ability to effortlessly weave in and out of dense, hungry crowds. Iulianelli — who stands 5-foot-2 — admits she felt like "Bambi on ice" in her first bout for the…
Best Karaoke, Oakland County
22628 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-545-8243 Ferndale, once unabashedly funky, is in the throes of transition, not unlike Royal Oak’s evolution (or de-evolution depending on what side you take in the Gusoline vs. Blackfinn juxtaposition) a decade ago. Cleaner, fancier, slightly more pretentious establishments keep cropping up in Ferndale. Thank the lord there are still funky…
Best Coney Island, Macomb County
1812 N. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-398-6111; more locations at nationalconeyisland.com Located just across the street from Luna, this coney island is open 24 hours, perfect for satisfying late-night stomach rumblings at 3 a.m. or taking a midday lunch break. Although their coney dog is their most popular seller, don’t be afraid to try a…
Best Draft Pick for Pistons
Pistons point guard Brandon Knight was drafted eighth overall in the 2011 NBA Draft and has already given Pistons fans reason to believe a bright future lies ahead for the franchise.  Knight was inserted into the starting lineup after only six games into the season and has not looked back. He’s the team’s third-leading scorer, tied…
Best Indian Cuisine, Washtenaw County
307 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-663-1500; shalimarrestaurant.com This modern-styled Northern Indian eatery offers Mughlai cuisine. The menu has plenty to offer both vegetarians and meat lovers. Better still, you can wash the dishes down with a cocktail thanks to the full bar.
Best Indie Coffeehouse, Washtenaw County
317 W. Cross St., Ypsilanti; 734-484-4684; uglymugcafeandroastery Since 2004, this microroastery has attracted a following with its increasing focus on small-lot coffees from farms and cooperatives in Guatemala, El Salvador, Colombia and Peru. The comfy setting doesn’t hurt, with tables, couches, barstools, even an open-air seating area out back.
Best Italian Cuisine, Washtenaw County
347 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-930-6100; paliorestaurant.com This rustic Italian restaurant serves generously portioned Tuscan dishes, such as spaghetti Bolognese, with rich flavors of veal, pork, porcini mushrooms, fresh rosemary and more. Except thick soups, country breads, and grilled meats and fish.
Best Food Desert Fighters
8838 Third Ave., Detroit; 313-870-9210; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, noon-4 p.m. Saturday; centraldetroitchristian.org As "food desert" becomes part of the local lexicon, awareness has grown that vendors of fresh fruit and vegetables underserve vast swaths of Detroit. Shunned by large chain grocers, these neighborhoods are places where residents, many of whom don’t have cars, must…
Best Jazz Club
2030 Park Ave., Detroit; 313-961-2543; cliffbells.com Regular jazz had been conspicuously absent from downtown for years when new owners — Paul Howard, Scott Lowell and Carolyn Howard — restored and reopened this classy spot in 2005. (It had been dormant for three decades, and it was hard to tell whether the club had been transported…
Best Way for Matty Moroun to Improve His Public Image
The 84-year-old billionaire Moroun has already recouped his shrewd investment in the Ambassador Bridge many times over, having leveraged the value of the bridge with duty-free operations and the tax-free truck fueling stations at the Gateway Plaza and all sorts of other businesses. So why not make a grand gesture and give back to the…
Best Steak, Oakland County
755 W. Big Beaver Rd., Troy; 248-269-8424; ruthschris.com What’s it going to take to outdo a Ruth’s Chris steak? With more than 100 locations worldwide, this is the second consecutive year the chain has won this category.
Best Retail Change Over
460 W. Canfield, Detroit; 313-831-9776; nestdetroit.com If you’re anything like us, you were saddened when Midtown’s Bureau of Urban Living permanently closed up shop. Not only were we going to miss browsing the shop’s diverse mix of home accessories, but also because we couldn’t imagine walking in to the space and not seeing proprietor Claire…
Best African-American Hair Salon
4147 Cass Ave., Detroit; 313-831-4771; texturesbynef.com At her Midtown salon, Nefertiti provides a calming refuge from hectic city life, viewing herself as much a "spiritual coach" as a hairstylist. Her focus is on providing natural hair care to men and women, helping clients embrace their inner beauty as much as the natural kink and curl…
Best Indie Women’s Clothing, Macomb County
salvationarmyusa.org When all else fails, try the Salvation Army. This stalwart thrift shop supplies everything from furniture and appliances to books and bric-a-brac (and apparently much of the clothing needs of Macomb County) at everyday low prices. It’s a haven for those who need to stock a new apartment on the cheap, for those low…
Best Chinese Cuisine, Oakland County
1515 E. Maple Rd., Troy; 248-689-2332 monjinlau.com This modern Asian restaurant offers an extensive sushi and cocktail list, a wide range of seafood and meat items, as well as tofu dishes for the vegetarians, all served up in a sophisticated setting.
Best Wood-Oven Pizza
341 E. Liberty St., Ann Arbor; 734-769-6700; maniosteria.com At the far end of Mani Osteria’s dining room, the open kitchen is in full view of the entire restaurant. And from its center erupts the warm orange glow of their wood-fired oven, practically saying to customers, "Don’t be stupid. Get a pizza. It’ll be good." And…
Best Coney Island, Wayne County
118 W. Lafayette Blvd., Detroit; 313-964-8198 One of the best hot dog spots in town, Lafayette’s real charm lies in its character: food orders shouted into the steamy kitchen, the sound of plates rattling and the cast of characters strolling in at 2 a.m. Lafayette’s plain coney dogs make a quality meal, boasting thick, meaty…
Best Mexican Cuisine, Wayne County
3409 Bagley St., Detroit; 313-843-0179 This popular Mexicantown eatery offers generously portioned Mexican staples at reasonable prices. The chimichangas are deep-fried and gooey, smothered in cheese and guacamole. The hot chips and salsa are addictive, and it washes down well with a house margarita.
Best Beer Selection in a Restaurant
175 W. Troy St., Ferndale; 248-808-6633; oneeyedbettys.com One-Eyed Betty holds an impressive collection of craft brews, around 45 drafts and 85 bottled beers. What’s more, all the items on the menu pair perfectly with the beer selection, or are cooked with beer — like the tasty beer-and-cheese soup.
Real Deal – Reader’s Choice
Best Indie Women’s Clothing, Wayne County Best Indie Men’s Clothing, Wayne County Showtime 5708 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-875-9280; showtimedetroit.com For nearly 25 years, this Midtown staple and perennial winner has supplied threads to Detroit’s musicians, performers and entertainers — and the scenesters who follow in their wake. But it’s not all leather and lace…
Best Steak, Macomb County
29850 Groesbeck Hwy, Roseville; 586-777-7770; mrpaulschophouse.com More than 40 years old, Mr. Paul’s is a charmed place lost in time somewhere back in the early postwar era. Here you can have one of the area’s best Caesar salads, prepared with a theatrical flair at tableside, often by the owner himself. The chateaubriand steak for two…
Best Dance Club in Detroit
400 Bagley St., Detroit; 313-962-2300; lelandcityclub.net City Club is only open on Friday and Saturday nights (from 10 till 4:30 in the morning!) because if it were open any more nights we’d see an immediate depletion in the productivity of the regional workforce.
John K. King Used and Rare Books
901 W. Lafayette Blvd., Detroit; 313-961-0622; rarebooklink.com As the market for e-readers expands, a place such as John King’s become even more hallowed. But to be fair, King’s has always been rather singular — four floors of a former glove factory are filled with nearly one million books, quietly exuding the power and possibility of…
Best Kitchen Open Only on Weekdays
660 W. Baltimore St., Detroit; 313-873-1739 Many MT readers may be familiar with New Center’s Northern Lights Lounge as a stylish bar and performance venue, but for several years the nightspot has kept its kitchen open Monday through Friday in a bid for Detroit’s weekday lunch and dinner crowds. For a business luncheon, you could…
Best Draft Selection in a Bar
175 W. Troy Ave., Ferndale; 248-808-6633; oneyedbettys.com Congrats, Betty! What a momentous, game-changing award for One-Eyed Betty’s, a fresh and welcome addition to Detroit’s ever-evolving beer and live music scene: a tasteful and unpretentious beer house, where you can enjoy brews from around the state and around the world. The service is solid, and the…
Best In-Yer-Face Music Venue, Burbs
3087 12 Mile Rd., Berkley; 248-547-3331 Berkley’s a fairly quiet little burb, but with a little rockabilly aesthetic and hip-hop development. Even the barber shop, the Chop Shop, sorta fits the ‘billy image — hot rods and Morrissey (?!) on the wall, Elvis crooning in the background. The Berkley Front, while not exclusively a rockabilly…
Best Way to Improve Midtown Detroit
There is actually a way to improve public transit — not just for Midtown, but for the entire metro region! — currently being debated in the Michigan Legislature. Our solons are weighing the possibility of creating a Regional Transit Authority that would serve as an umbrella organization covering Wayne, Oakland, Macomb and Washtenaw counties, and…
Best Bakery, Washtenaw County
422 Detroit St., Ann Arbor; 734-663-3354; zingermans.com Zingerman’s is more than a deli, with its huge selection of olive oils, vinegars, cheeses and sausages, many from the far corners of the world. With excellent corned beef and pastrami, sandwiches available in numerous combinations, and artisanal breads fresh from the Zingerman’s Bakehouse (yes, they have their…
Best Thai Cuisine, Macomb County
23519 Nine Mack Dr., St. Clair Shores; 586-776-8424 Entrées include noodles, curry and variations of fried rice. Each entrée is offered with a choice of chicken, shrimp, squid, krab, squid, pork, tofu, beef or vegetables. Even the mild spice level will prickle your taste buds; advance to medium and your sinuses may go into overdrive.…
Best Ground Floor City View
800 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-237-7778; fountainbistro.com Everyone oohs and aahs over the views from such restaurants as Iridescence or Coach Insignia, where, at an altitude of several stories, diners are afforded the luxury of gazing out over the city, the river and the loveliness that is our neighbor Windsor. Dining at ground level, however, is…
Best Breakfast for You, the Earth and Southeast Michigan
From 6:30 to 10 a.m., Fridays, at 722 Soule Blvd., Ann Arbor; 734-417-1144; selmacafe.org; $12-$15 suggested donation for breakfast Founded in 2009, Selma Cafe is a weekly local-foods breakfast fundraiser and party catering to people into food. Not just any food, mind you: slow food, organic food, local food, sustainable and secure food. And the…
Best Place for Audio Gear
for more locations, see guitarcenter.com This frequent readers’ pick offers all the latest gear by the biggest names, as well as a mammoth used selection and online access to the rare and valuable guitars of vintage collections located in Nashville, New York and Hollywood. Shoppers can get merch for a steal thanks to clearances on…
Best Wine Selection in a Restaurant
23810 Woodward Ave., Pleasant Ridge; 248-544-2675 This year’s laurels go to the first-ever recipient of a liquor license in Pleasant Ridge. Not only is Cork’s wine list broad and inventive, the menu of small plates to accompany the pours are varied and wine-friendly, never too acidic, spicy or salty to pair well.
Best Folks to Get Out that Damn Spot
26051 Dequindre Rd., Madison Heights; 248-584-1819 Let’s say you’re clumsy enough to kick over a cup of coffee on the floor and dense enough to not notice that some of the coffee splashed into vertical fabric blinds … like dense enough to not notice for a week. Let’s say you frantically begin calling blinds shops…
Best TV News
myfoxdetroit.com Practice, practice, practice: When you produce 11 hours of live local news every Monday through Friday, and another 11 on the weekends, you should be perceived by viewers as delivering the finest newscasts in town. You certainly deliver the most — it’s like the news on FOX2 never goes off! (Think of the money…
Best Romantic Restaurant, Oakland County
888 W. Big Beaver Rd., Troy; 248-362-2221 26425 Novi Rd., Novi; 248-347-6358 309 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-622-0055 meltingpot.com The staff at the Melting Pot is willing to go the extra mile to cater to your fondue fantasies. All tables feature a heating element that keeps your fondue pots hot and ready for your…
Best Farmers’ Market, Wayne County
Between Russell and Riopelle streets, and Gratiot and Mack avenues, Detroit; 313-833-9300; detroiteasternmarket.com; open Tuesdays and Saturdays The 209-year-old market has been at its present location (between Russell and Riopelle streets and north of Gratiot Avenue) since 1891 — smack in the middle of a bustling 43-acre area that’s home to wholesalers, retailers and the…
Best Place to Buy Skates/Skateboard/etc
29862 Woodward Ave., Royal Oak; 248-545-5700 1500 N. Stephenson Hwy., Royal Oak; 248-547-SKATE; for Lansing location, see modernskate.com For more than 30 years, Modern has been providing metro Detroiters with everything they need to skate or board, by land or by sea. They’ve got all the essentials, from skates and skateboards to snowboards and wakeboards,…
Best Place to Buy a Car, Oakland County
2405 S. Telegraph Rd., Bloomfield Hills; 877-233-6493 gollingchryserjeepdodge.com An expansive inventory and low prices make this Bloomfield Hills dealership our readers’ favorite place to purchase their Chrysler 300s and Dodge Durangos. Golling’s offers one of the largest inventories of new Chryslers, Dodges, Jeeps and Rams in the state, as well as a hefty selection of…
Best Bicycle Shop in Detroit
3611 Cass Ave., Detroit; 313-833-0813; thehubofdetroit.org An annual Best Of winner, this Cass Corridor shop sells refurbished bikes and provides repair services on the cheap in order to promote its three-pronged mission: youth development, sustainable practices and community access. To that end, the Hub and the nonprofit arm that it supports, Back Alley Bikes, offers…
Best Beer Selection in a Store, Wayne County
22250 Michigan Ave., Dearborn; 313-563-8700; merchantsfinewine.com Founded in 1994, Merchant’s Fine Wine is the place to go for all your fermented needs. They boast an impressive selection of beer; just ask Merchant’s Certified Cicerone for advice on selecting, acquiring, storing and serving today’s wide range of beers. Once you’ve selected the perfect beer, have the…
Best Chinese Cuisine, Macomb County
6880 E. Twelve Mile Rd., Warren; 586-751-5288 This low-key eatery is known for its specialty dim sum and fresh seafood options, such as walnut shrimp and soft-shelled crab. The menu also includes items more familiar to American diners, such as sweet and sour pork and almond chicken.
Best Bakery, Oakland County
220 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-398-8018; pinwheelbakery.com Their scones are among the best we’ve had, crisp on the outside, moist and soft on the inside, coming in a variety of flavors. Last year, they joined forces with the new Red Hook coffee shop; Pinwheel bakes in the back and Red Hook brews up front.…
Best All-Around Buffet
13017 Warren Rd., Westland; 734-641-9163; see goldencorral.com for more locations At Golden Corral you don’t have to worry about freshness — the food is served hot and fresh each day. It’s all-you-can-eat fare that features such familiar favorites as simmered pot roast — along with new menu offerings whipped up to keep things exciting. You…
Best Slider, Washtenaw County
See whitecastle.com for dozens of locations This year, the white-enamel-steel-clad mini-burger chain only won out in two counties instead of the near sweep they achieved some years! Their website’s helpful Find-a-Castle function will help you when you have your next craving.
Best Hair Salon, Washtenaw County
333 Maynard St., Ann Arbor; 734-929-0453;               for other locations, see douglasj.com When Douglas Weaver opened his first salon in East Lansing in 1967, he had a vision for the kind of business he wanted to build, one that would not only…
Best Indie Record Store, Oakland County
512 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak; 248-545-5955; uhfmusic.com Although it hasn’t even been around for two years, UHF already ranks as one of the best record shops in metro Detroit (and not just ’cause our readers say so). The store homes in on quality new and used vinyl, including pristine rarities and an ample local…
Best Neighborhood Pizza, Oakland County
Several locations in metro Detroit, including Oakland County; see buddyspizza.com for info Before we broke up our pizza by county, Buddy’s was the perennial winner of our Best Neighborhood Pizza category. After a full life as a speakeasy, Buddy’s original location on Conant only started pumping out pizza in 1946. And though it has expanded…
Spend the Night – Reader’s Choice
Best Bar for Under 30 The Wurst Bar 705 W. Cross St., Ypsilanti; 743-485-6720; wurstbarypsi.com. When someone says that a bar’s a "total sausage-fest" the allusion is to an establishment where horned-up young dudes go to unfurl sexual exploits over beers the size of their biceps (or so they’d like to think) and take turns…
Best Nail Salon
23341 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248- 439-6010; rougemakeupandnails.com At ROUGE, the traditional salon approach of harsh beauty treatments built around toxic chemicals is a complete unknown. Instead, pampering comes all-natural, with vegan and organic nail products. After all, it just makes sense that manis and pedis shouldn’t just make you look good, but also be good…
Best Place to Buy a Mattress
artvan.com Art Van Furniture caters to your mattress needs, whether you’re looking for a custom-made adjustable bed, or a different comfort level made especially for your finicky partner’s side of the bed. They offer name brands at great prices, and they’ll ship the mattress out to you the next day for free so you won’t…
Best Place to Pretend You Live in Portland
22801 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 810-441-9115; rustbeltmarket.com If you’ve got friends in town and you want to impress them without trying, lead them to this 15,000-square-foot space, the former home of an Old Navy, and let them get lost in this circular bazaar filled with DIY crafters. Maybe it’s not as rad or edgy as Detroit’s…
Best Suburban Punk Hangout That’s Not a Joke
22646 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-546-3696; thewabsite.com Aside from brewing some of the best Mitten-made beer and beyond, the WAB is a major meet-up for Ferndale punks, hipsters and indie kids. With the Loving Touch nearby, the vibe of the whole place is very punk rock in the sense that it’s inviting and warm like a…
Best Wine Selection in a Store, Wayne County
22250 Michigan Ave., Dearborn; 313-563-8700; merchantsfinewine.com Founded in 1994, Merchant’s Fine Wine is the place to go for all your fermented needs. They boast an impressive selection of beer; just ask Merchant’s Certified Cicerone for advice on selecting, acquiring, storing and serving today’s wide range of beers. Once you’ve selected the perfect beer, have the…
Best Draft Selection in a Bar
175 W. Troy Ave., Ferndale; 248-808-6633; oneyedbettys.com Congrats, Betty! What a momentous, game-changing award for One-Eyed Betty’s, a fresh and welcome addition to Detroit’s ever-evolving beer and live music scene: a tasteful and unpretentious beer house, where you can enjoy brews from around the state and around the world. The service is solid, and the…
Best Creative Class Mingle
We’re reluctant to blow our own horn, but you might think we’re holding back if you haven’t gotten word already. Once a month, Metro Times teams up with Detroit Creative Corridor Center (DC3) and Quicken Loans — plus other outfits such as CCS and AIGA Detroit — to corral a local design shop to open…
Best Motorcycle Shop
34900 Grand River Ave., Farmington Hills; 248-473-RIDE; motorcityharley.com Now that warm weather is here (for the most part), Motor City Harley-Davidson has everything you need to get out on the open road. Need a part? They have more than 1 million parts and accessories in stock. Need some maintenance? The service center offers more than…
Best Blues Club
2030 Park Ave., Detroit; 313-961-2543; cliffbells.com We’re guessing that the blues vote is driven mainly by the hip-factor of the jazz and club in general. That’s not to discount drummer R.J. Spangler’s regular forays into various shades and derivations of blues for his organ jam nights, or a big blues shindig next month.
Best Draft Selection in a Bar
175 W. Troy Ave., Ferndale; 248-808-6633; oneyedbettys.com Congrats, Betty! What a momentous, game-changing award for One-Eyed Betty’s, a fresh and welcome addition to Detroit’s ever-evolving beer and live music scene: a tasteful and unpretentious beer house, where you can enjoy brews from around the state and around the world. The service is solid, and the…
Best Happy Hour, Oakland County
30 E. Big Beaver Rd., Troy; 248-619-9060; konagrill.com If the words "sushi," "martini," "beer" and "deal" elicit instantaneous positive biological reactions in your brain (and perhaps other body parts), then you are the sort who might discover your happiest hours inside the confines of the Kona Grill. Every single day of the week, Kona boasts…
Best Local Music Festival
Hart Plaza, Detroit; movement.us Since the turn of the millennium, the festival formerly known as DEMF has brought the best electronic music artists to Detroit, while highlighting the incredible local talent. It’s like a big love-in with a light show, an opportunity for like-minded souls to gather and dance like goons while everything from trance…
Best Place to Buy Detroit Products
Inside the Guardian Building, 500 Griswold, St., Detroit; 313-963-1440; see puredetroit.com for Fisher Building and Renaissance Center locations Pure Detroit’s city-centric apparel is instantly recognizable, with T-shirts, hoodies, track jackets and undies emblazoned with the store’s logo, the image of the Spirit of Detroit, or such cheeky slogans as "Detroit is for Lovers." The store…
Best Bar for a Classic Cocktail
facebook.com/artnoveltycompany Classic cocktails in dimly lit, well-designed bars are all the rage right now, and while the Sugar House holds it down in Corktown, the Oakland in Ferndale is a nighttime favorite for the movers and shakers who like to mix it up in pre-Prohibition style. Don’t let the sign on the door fool you,…
Best Jukebox
309 S. Center St., Royal Oak; 248-545-2235 Dirty, gritty, goes-good-with-drinkin’ jazz and blues gets mixed up with punk, funk, country and early grunge from the likes of Neil Young and Sonic Youth. Tom Waits lives next to Wilco and Howlin’ Wolf, while Muddy Waters rubs elbows with Elvis Costello and James Brown. Feed the juke;…
Best Use of Condensed Milk
300 Hamilton Row, Birmingham; 248-792-9766; gocommonwealth.com OK, so there’s a lot more to Commonwealth than condensed milk. But it’s a key ingredient in their signature latte, and it’s pretty damn good — a sweetened, almost dessert-like twist on the über-popular drink. They also select and roast their own beans in-house, making it one of only…
Best American Restaurant
340 Town Center Blvd., White Lake; 248-698-2400; therootrestaurant.com The Root is not only aggressively American in its menu choices (pork shoulder, New York strip, meatloaf, pumpkin pot pie, cheese grits, corn on the cob) but insistently Michigan: pork pasties are on the menu. In truth, it’s not sticking to nearby suppliers, but to chef James…
Best Gay Bar
928 W. McNichols Rd., Detroit; 313-863-3934; menjosbar.com Serving it up for Detroit’s gay community for more than 35 years, Menjo’s never takes a day off, always ensuring there’s good space to grind, gallop, giddy-up and get down. The bar attracts more of a mature crowd on weekday nights, and on the weekend, or whenever there’s…
Best Dim Sum in Detroit
4710 Cass Ave., Detroit; 313-974-7669; midtownshangri-la.com Dim Sum translates to "little piece of the heart," referring to the bite-size portions of steamed or fried dumplings, noodles, braised meats, seafood and vegetables. And at Shangri-La’s Detroit location, every day there are about 40 items, perfect for sharing, passed on rolling carts at lunchtime and available for…
Best Burger, Washtenaw County
56 E. Cross St., Ypsilanti; 734-483-5230; sidetrackbarandgrill.com In Ypsi’s historic Depot Town district, Sidetrack has been serving delicious grub for over 150 years. The "FamousBurger" cracked GQ’s "20 Hamburgers You Must Eat Before You Die" list in 2006, with its secretly blended meat on a small, soft and grilled sesame bun. Sidetrack sits so close…
Best Jewelry Store
801 W. Big Beaver, Ste. 103, Troy; 248-244-0600; diamondvaultoftroy.com Diamond Vault topples perpetual winner Tapper’s this year, earning accolades for its personalized, low-pressure service and superior diamonds at knockout prices. Established in 2003, the store’s owners bring with them nearly 50 years of experience in the jewelry biz, which they use to educate customers in…
Best Vintage Clothing, Macomb County
salvationarmyusa.org When all else fails, try the Salvation Army. This stalwart thrift shop supplies everything from furniture and appliances to books and bric-a-brac (and apparently much of the clothing needs of Macomb County) at everyday low prices. It’s a haven for those who need to stock a new apartment on the cheap, for those low…
Best Detroit Asset to Protect
If Detroit should fail to abide by the terms of its consent agreement with the state and lose complete control of city government, don’t be surprised if city jewels start to go on sale. We can think of nothing as valuable, or more in need of remaining in public hands, than the third-largest water and…
Best Bukowskian Watering Hole
3003 W. Vernor Hwy., Detroit; 313-964-2267 Imagine this. It’s midnight and baseball fans decked out in silly orange and blue are crowdin’ up your favorite downtown liver-picklin’ hole. Hungry? Forget it. Slows Bar BQ is out ’cause it’s packed with overfed baseball fans from Howell. You could try to hit LJ’s Lounge up the street…
Best Restaurant Attached to a Bar
2040 Park Ave., Detroit; 313-965-3111; bucharestgrill.com The streets behind the Fox Theatre have come alive with clubs and restaurants, dens of food and entertainment that are drawing folks looking for new venues to explore. In the heart of it is the Bucharest Grill, where you’ll find an array of Middle Eastern and Romanian food, hot…
Best Beer Selection in a Store, Oakland County
1203 S. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-541-1414; holiday-market.com The folks at Holiday Market have expanded from the snug neighborhood butcher shop they opened in the 1950s to the 60,000-square-foot market we know today, but the same foundation of quality and service remain. Whether you’re a seasoned beer-lover or just looking to upgrade your taste in…
Best Pizza, Washtenaw County
39 E. Cross St., Ypsilanti; 734-483-1870 2122 Whittaker Rd., Ypsilanti Twp.; 734-483-1525 8031 Main St., Ste. 101, Dexter; 734-424-1400; aubrees.com For more than 20 years, Aubree’s Cross Street location has been catering to Ypsilanti’s pizza-lovers. They offer many kinds of pies, from classic round to square deep-dish to build-your-own to thin-crust, even whole wheat crust.
Best New Restaurant
167 Townsend St., Birmingham; 248-494-7110; bellapiattirestaurant.com Far too many restaurants lose sight of the complete dining experience. Not Bella Piatti, this year’s clear standout among newcomers. The shareable plates and upbeat space are fun, the food is consistently delicious, the wine, beer and cocktails are thoughtfully selected, and the servers are knowledgeable. It’s pricey, but…
Public Square – Staff Picks
Best Example of Journalism Shaking Things Up WXYZ-TV’s "Wayne County Confidential" series Back in September, WXYZ’s investigative team broke the story that Turkia Mullin, newly hired to be director of the Wayne County Airport Authority, received a $200,000 severance payment as she was leaving her post as the cash-strapped county’s economic development director. Wayne County…
Best Slider, Wayne County
33406 Five Mile Rd., Livonia; 734-427-3464 This slider stop is a venerable west side institution, with some saying you haven’t lived until you’ve tried one of Bates’ "gut bombs." The blandishments are few — just the essentials: salt, pepper, mustard and ketchup — but it doesn’t get any more authentic than this. Great for going…
Best Club Night, Oakland County
1815 N. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-589-3344; lunaroyaloak.com With a specific set of alluring and affordable music themes and drink specials running Wednesday through Sunday, Luna’s wicked ways are fueled by a earnest proclivity for escapist, dance-floor fun. Uptempo electro pop — and up-tempo remixes of downtempo electro pop from yesteryear and yesterday — is…
Best Kosher Indian
29210 Orchard Lake Rd., Farmington Hills; 248-626-6021; udipirestaurantonline.com There are a half-dozen Indian restaurants on Orchard Lake Road between 12 Mile and 13 Mile roads, but only one that serves kosher foods, conforming to Jewish dietary laws. Udipi is a find for vegetarian Indian food lovers, even those who don’t keep kosher, with a menu…
Best Bar for Sunday Funday
dirtydetroit.com The Dirty Show is definitively sexy, subversive, and sublime. Every year they draw closet freaks and voyeurs into a private-public arena where exhibitionists mix it up with leashed lovers and suggestive aerial artists, deviant dominatrix and vintage vixen steam punk sluts. Masked faces. Naked bodies. The patrons mirror the art on display, and each…
Best Change to Local Left-Wing Radio
Thom Hartmann’s new time slot on WDTW/1310 AM The way we see it, the sanest voice on the radio airwaves belongs to Thom Hartmann. He provides a wealth of knowledge, rational discourse and honest debate instead of inflammatory rhetoric. A student of history, this Michigan native’s nationally syndicated show is a must listen for anyone…
Best New Boutique
The Peacock Room 15 E. Kirby St., Detroit; 313-559-5500; peacockroomdetroit.com Located on the ground floor of the Park Shelton, this new boutique features a mix of new, vintage and quality consignment clothing for trendsetting Detroiters. Almost as attractive as the stock — flouncy skirts, patterned scarves, vintage bowties, colorful socks, saucy stockings — is the…
Best Indie Record Store, Macomb County
23013 S. Gratiot Ave., Eastpointe; 586-774-8480 OK, the MT editors and the readers adore Melodies & Memories. For good reason — its claims to fame go well beyond its repeated winning of this category: It’s Eminem’s favorite local record shop. It’s steeped in rich, Motown history. It boasts the region’s largest selection of boxed sets.…
Best Draft Selection in a Bar
175 W. Troy Ave., Ferndale; 248-808-6633; oneyedbettys.com Congrats, Betty! What a momentous, game-changing award for One-Eyed Betty’s, a fresh and welcome addition to Detroit’s ever-evolving beer and live music scene: a tasteful and unpretentious beer house, where you can enjoy brews from around the state and around the world. The service is solid, and the…
Best Karaoke, Wayne County
33729 Ford Rd., Garden City; 734-522-7744; rockstarzbar.com If "karaoke" literally shows up in the proper name of a bar and they don’t win this category, something would be painfully wrong with this world. (Not like there already isn’t, but you know what we mean.) Specializing in public humiliation and private parties (bachelorette, corporate, you name…
Best Rock Club
pjslagerhouse.com Spending regular time at PJ’s Lager House would lead you to believe that upstanding and locally focused American rock clubs are alive and well. We’re spoiled and we know it: It’s one of the few perks of being a Detoiter. And PJ has done one hell of a job making sure that the Lager’s…
Best Middle Eastern Cuisine, Oakland County
22651 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-548-0680; anitaskitchenonline.com Ever since the folks at Anita’s kitchen claimed the old ice-cream shop on Woodward Avenue as their own, gave it a chic, contemporary makeover and filled it with the smells of Anita Farah’s classic Lebanese fare, loyal foodies have been naming Anita’s Kitchen the best Middle Eastern Cuisine in…
Best Comic Book Shop, Wayne County
13210 Michigan Ave., Dearborn; 313-582-9444; greenbrain.biz This family-owned shop is a perpetual readers’ pick thanks to its diverse selection of comics, including mainstream titles and small-press offerings. And if it’s not in stock, the staff will gladly order it for you — just one example of the shining customer service comic nerds can expect at…
Best Place to Drink Like a Viking
5919 Chicago Rd., Warren; 586-979-8361; kbrewery.com Neighborhood micro breweries are becoming commonplace these days but while everybody and their cousin can whip up a decent IPA, it takes someplace special to offer up a whole menu of mead, the ancient beverage made from fermented stuff and honey. That magical joint is Kuhnhenn Brewing Co, a…
Best Wine Gimmick in a Restaurant
Green Zone Pizza’s Wine Dispenser 17008 Kercheval Ave., Grosse Pointe; 313-332-0559; greenzonepizza.com It’s really two gimmicks in synch: wine on a gift card and wine from a vending machine. Fill up your card and insert it into the Enomatic. Eight bottles are displayed, four reds and four whites, the latter kept colder. Put your glass…
Best Frisbee Golf Park
4300 Main Park Rd., Shelby Township; 248-650-5300; metroparks.com For starters, the sport is officially known as disc golf (our bad). As for the course itself, it’s a 24-hole affair, with a nice mix of open and wooded holes. Most holes are long par 3s. According to the Professional Disc Golf Association’s website, Stony Creek is…
Best Neighborhood Pizza, Wayne County
2457 Russell St., Detroit; 313-567-7879; <a href="http://supinopizza.comsupinopizza.com Imaginative fresh ingredients — even an egg — with a delectable thin crust! They serve five red pizzas and six white, meaning no tomato sauce; almost all are made with traditional ingredients. The red sauce is supremely simple, nothing much besides some fresh-tasting though canned crushed tomatoes. The…
Best Mexican Cuisine, Washtenaw County
529 W. Cross St., Ypsilanti; 734-483-1666; lafiestamexicana.net This family-owned Mexican eatery serves Mexican classics as well as more unusual menu items — such as potato tacos, a house specialty. The house-made tamales are steam cooked and wrapped in cornhusk. They don’t serve alcohol, but you can BYOB.
Best Indie Hardware Shop in Detroit
1401 Gratiot Ave., Detroit; 313-567-0785 Since 1918, Busy Bee has been the go-to hardware shop for Detroiters and Saturday morning Eastern Market shoppers. The story goes that Busy Bee was established to cater to the market’s visiting farmers, eventually expanding to service everyone from the Detroit Police Department’s mounted patrol to the circus when it…
Best Indian Cuisine, Wayne County
TIE Aladdin Sweets & Café 11945 Conant Ave., Hamtramck; 313-891-8050 Zam Zam 11917 Conant Ave., Hamtramck; 313-893-9902; zamzamcafe.com The winners both sit on the same block in Hamtramck, along Bangladeshi Avenue (Conant’s honorary designation). Aladdin’s offerings include the usual Bangladeshi classics, such as fried homemade cheese with spinach, all served on polystyrene plates with plastic…
Best Detroit Gift Destination
4201 Cass Ave., Detroit; 313-832-2477 We found a number of Yelp commenters whose experience matched our own: we’d needed a gift and been saved by Tulani Rose, part of the Spiral Collective at the corner of Cass and Willis (the former sites of the Cass Corridor Food Co-op and Cobb’s Corner for Detroit history heads,…
Best Dance Club, Washtenaw County
516 E. Liberty St., Ann Arbor; 734-994-5436; necto.com Necto’s incredible drawing power when it comes to pulling in those from outside of Washtenaw County played a big part in this new round of wins for Necto, Ann Arbor’s heathen haven. It’s a veritable brothel full of DJs and insatiable dance music consumers. Gays, goths and…
Best Attorney
615 Griswold St., Ste. 719, Detroit; 313-879-1206; dezsilaw.com For the second year in a row, this former staff attorney for Geoffrey Fieger keeps his old boss from claiming the Best Of title. An aggressive and accomplished attorney, Dezsi spent five years in Fieger’s firm handling a number of high-profile cases, including as part of the…
Best Steak, Washtenaw County
2324 Dexter, Ave., Ann Arbor; 734-665-8644 Old-time dining in a somewhat casual environment. Knight’s has both kinds of food: surf and turf — including perch, crab, filet mignon, New York strip, Delmonico, sirloin, porterhouse, prime rib, pork tenderloin schnitzel, baby back ribs, char-grilled London broil and much, much more.
Best Restaurant to Spend Less Than $50, Washtenaw County
207 W. Michigan Ave., Ypsilanti; 734-340-2381; redrockypsi.com Freshly opened, Red Rock is a cozy barbecue joint decorated with an exposed brick and wood interior. They serve up the classics: brisket sandwiches, tender ribs, creamy mac and cheese, and more. They also offer a nice beer selection to go with your ‘cue.
Best Night to Laugh
Various locations You’ve got to have a sense of humor to tough it out in a town where even the manholes are steaming mad. Fortunately there is a pretty vibrant standup comedy scene bubbling up here, one that’s whacked, raw and as fucked-up as our rusty burg. While big-name headliners own weekends, Thursday night’s ripe…
Best Michigan Product
bmchips.com In the ongoing knock-down, drag-out fight between Michigan monoliths Better Made and Faygo, the potato chip takes the crown this year. A local snack staple since 1930, any party store, grocery store, bar, gas station, barbecue or picnic worth its salt (pun intended) must feature this iconic Michigan brand. Whether you prefer kettle cooked,…
Best Indie Coffeehouse, Macomb County
TIE Che Cosa 90 Macomb Place, Mount Clemens; 586-954-2677 Luna Café 23415 Greater Mack Ave., St. Clair Shores; 586-774-5000 Che Cosa is a quirky little joint in downtown Mount Clemens has snacks, coffee, couches and a friendly vibe. Plus, if you want to grab some coffee to go, you can walk right over to the…
Best Farmers’ Market, Oakland County
316 E. 11 Mile Rd., Royal Oak; 248-246-3276; ci.royal-oak.mi.us; open Fridays May through Christmas, Saturdays year-round The Royal Oak Farmers’ Market has existed since the 1920s, but with rising interest in farm-fresh food, the market has only grown in importance and popularity in recent years. The enclosed building, ample parking and Sunday flea markets don’t…
Trine 2 is a snazzy side-scroller
Trine 2 (PC) The side-scrolling genre has for the most part been laid to rest by the platformer. Occasionally, a side-scroller gem pops up and gives us all a sense of reassurance. Trine 2 does that. With a beautifully designed environment, the breathtaking in-game and cut-scene visuals are sure to satisfy. The game is also…
Best Breakfast or Brunch, Oakland County
23144 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-398-0444 203 Pierce St., Birmingham; 248-258-6278; eatattoast.com At the Birmingham spot, you’ll find great food and wine "with humor in a fun, casual environment." The hostess station is an old white Detroit Liner stove, a 1940s model with legs and drawers. In Ferndale, you can’t go wrong with the Grand Marnier…
Best Club to Get It on
15 S. Saginaw St., Pontiac; 248-599-2212; elektricitymusic.com Timing is everything in this life, and the stunning word-of-mouth rise of such electronic artists as, say, Deadmau5 and Skrillex, shows us how this Pontiac venue is more than a mere finger pistol at the genre. Sure, the rave and dance scene went legit a while back, in…
Best Local College
We caught the Brookings Institute’s Bruce Katz on the Craig Fahle Show (see above) the other day talking about Detroit’s downtown-to-midtown vitality and ongoing revitalization. Katz reeled off numbers for the 1.5-square mile midtown center: "You’ve got 24,000 residents, you’ve got 46,000 workers, a whole bunch of students, over 30,000 — my lord, that’s a…
Best Tres Leches Cake
203 Hamilton St., Birmingham; 248-593-6060;  barriomi.com Oddly, for a chef and a restaurant decidedly not of the barrio, Barrio’s tres leches cake is even better than those from Mexicantown bakeries; it’s richer than it is sweet, though it’s plenty sweet. The three milks used to soak this traditional Latin American gem are evaporated, condensed…
Best Indie Hardware Shop in Detroit
1401 Gratiot Ave., Detroit; 313-567-0785 Since 1918, Busy Bee has been the go-to hardware shop for Detroiters and Saturday morning Eastern Market shoppers. The story goes that Busy Bee was established to cater to the market’s visiting farmers, eventually expanding to service everyone from the Detroit Police Department’s mounted patrol to the circus when it…
Best Indie Record Store, Oakland County
512 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak; 248-545-5955; uhfmusic.com Although it hasn’t even been around for two years, UHF already ranks as one of the best record shops in metro Detroit (and not just ’cause our readers say so). The store homes in on quality new and used vinyl, including pristine rarities and an ample local…
Best Way to Improve Downtown Royal Oak
Birmingham City Manager Bob Bruner helped us put it in perspective in an e-mail: "There is no such thing as ‘free’ parking. If the driver does not pay it just means someone else does! Free parking has contributed to auto dependence, urban sprawl, extravagant energy use, and a host of other problems. Fair market pricing…
Best Local Film Festival
Various locations, Ann Arbor; 734-995-5356; aafilmfest.org; Though film festivals such as Sundance have become virtual farm-team feeding systems for Hollywood and — to a degree — have codified "indie film" as an aesthetic, there’s the contrasting example of the Ann Arbor Film Festival. As our film writer Corey Hall put it recently: "Ann Arbor maintains…
Best Slow Food
2138 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-962-9828; slowsbarbq.com This nationally recognized Corktown gem is packed with faithful barbecue fans willing to wait over fancy beer or wine selections for the delicious Carolina-style pulled pork, the sharp and creamy mac-n-cheese, or the flaky catfish. As for the slow food thing, well, it is right in the name. …
Best Local Reality TV Stars
Hardcore Pawn, truTV The father-and-kids melodrama of Hardcore Pawn, swirling around the daily customer encounters and backroom battles of Detroit pawnbroker Les Gold (could there be a better name for a man in his profession?), his son, Seth, and daughter, Ashley Gold Broad, remains the top-rated show on truTV in its sixth season. It has…
Best Body-Piercing Shop
230 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-439-0021 When Ferndale City Council finally scrapped outdated zoning that prohibited tattoo shops downtown, it was only a matter of time before one would pop up. Signature opened its doors in October 2010, an artist-run venture co-owned by prominent tattoo and underground artist Mark Heggie. Noting that many of…
Best Hair Salon, Macomb County
27380 Gratiot, Roseville; 586-778-6379; londoncallingsalon.com Whether you desire a modest trim or fushia highlights, a visit to this east side salon is in order. Founded in 1986, London Calling has gained a rep for its edgy styles, but its fashion-forward status doesn’t mean friendly service has been sacrificed — the experienced staff always puts the…
Best Indie Women’s Clothing, Oakland County
323 S. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-548-2980; incognitoinc.com Another MT readers’ fave, Incognito provides rock-inspired wear for the fearless trendsetter. Even if the less-daring choose to avoid leopard-print, body-hugging jeans, there are still plenty of choice pieces to choose from, including the Brit-inspired men’s fashions of Ben Sherman and the Detroit-centric goodies of Made in…
Best Casino to See a Show
2901 Grand River Ave., Detroit; 313-237-7711; motorcitycasino.com Sound Board is an increasingly popular venue inside the Motor City Casino, hosting the likes of Hall and Oates, Boys II Men, Steve Martin, and epic throwback shows such as this summer’s Summerland concert, which, for one night, will take us back to 1998 with Everclear, SugarRay, the…
Best Way for Detroit to Deal with Its Debt
Right. Because we really need someone to come in and sell off the city’s assets, like our water system or Belle Isle. Because democracy really is such a quaint and old-fashioned idea that it has run its course. Because an emergency manager is going to know how to keep 20,000 people a year from leaving…
Best Michigan Beer Bar, Downriver
1175 Eureka Rd., Wyandotte; 734-281-4629; rockerywyandotte.com Specializing in Michigan brews, beer nuts can expect suds from everyplace from Arbor Brewing to Short’s, as well as cider from J.K.’s Scrumpy and meads from B. Nektar Meadery. The four taps all pour Michigan beer, and there are more than 90 Michigan bottles to choose from. Burgers, chicken…
Best Tobacco/Smoke Shop
smokersoutletinc.com With more than 20 locations, Smoker’s Outlet is undoubtedly the big kahuna of all that can be lit and puffed (or just about) in the state. The extensive selection features fine cigars, pipes, imported cigarettes, lighters and roll-your-own tobacco, all at competitive prices. But if you do find your brand cheaper elsewhere, the folks…
Best Nickname for Oakland County Exec Brooks Patterson
Brooksie was the most-often suggested. Also suggested: "Gasbag," "Blowhard," "My Drinking Buddy," "The Great Divider," "Fat Cat," etc.Â
Best Deli, Oakland County
32906 Woodward Ave., Royal Oak; 248-549-3663 101 N. Telegraph, Waterford; 248-683-2244; alsfamousdeli.com Voted Best Deli by Metro Times readers off and on since the mid-1990s, Bread Basket serves more than cheese blintzes: Expect huge sandwiches, such soups as cold beet borscht, even stuffed cabbages. For best effect, drop in for a breakfast, which can include…
Best Urban Oasis
1055 Trumbull Ave, Detroit; 313-963-2805; lepetitzincdetroit.com Corktown has its share of great dining options, expanding exponentially of late. Some of these even have secluded outdoor seating (Slows, Mercury Burger Bar, the Lager House) that allows you to overlook the fact that you’re facing a large abandoned structure or a busy five-lane thoroughfare. But our favorite…
Best Place to Rent a Costume
9500 Mount Elliott, Studio A, Detroit; 313-923-7400; theparade.org On a past episode of The View, Tom Selleck can be seen posing for the cameras next to a giant papier-mâché replica of his own head worn by a good-humored member of the morning show’s crew. Constructed and rented out by the team at the Parade Company…
Best Burger, Macomb County
29387 Mound Rd., Warren; 586-751-4897; see fiveguys.com for more locations Five Guys empire is far removed from its first shop in Arlington, Va. With more than 1,000 locations in 40 states, the gimmick of allowing customers to custom-order a burger has cemented its place in the burger biz. As of last fall, Five Guys stands…
Best Hope for the Detroit Institute of Arts
Visit the DIA’s website and you’ll see the latest on great goings-on. Free Friday night music, award-winning films, world-renowned offerings from the standing collection (such as Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s "The Wedding Dance" and the Rivera murals). What you don’t get is the sense of how precarious it all is. With the city and state…
Best Arts Campaign
It was audacious in the first place for Music Hall to bring the Broadway show Fela! here for a three-week run — a $1.6 million gamble. But Music Hall Prexy and Artistic Director Vince Paul and his crew went beyond traditional marketing and fundraising in cobbling together a web of more than 40 collaborators: philanthropic…
Best Local Beer
237 Joseph Campau St., Detroit; 313-877-9205; atwaterbeer.com Offering all sorts of provocative yet well-balanced beers that finish incredibly clean every time, Atwater offers quality in an era where craft beer can be … overhyped? More than a handful of their beers approach perfection. Their cornerstone beer is the Vanilla Java Porter, and new eye-wideners include…
Best Lion
You cannot stop Megatron; you can only hope to contain him. We’ve heard all the accolades, been inundated with the hype. But Calvin Johnson has lived up to the hype, and then some. It’s mind-boggling that a guy his size (6-foot-5, 239 pounds) can run so fast, jump so high, and display his level of…
Best Piston
A rising star among the NBA’s big men, center Greg Monroe provides a solid cornerstone on which the Detroit Pistons can build their future. Monroe has shown improvement from last year in almost every major statistical category and is a leading candidate for the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award this year. A near selection for…
Best Restaurant to Spend Less Than $15, Wayne County
2040 Park Ave., Detroit; 313-965-3111; bucharestgrill.com Bucharest Grill is a small counter set up in the back of Park Bar, where you can get inexpensive menu items made up of Eastern European and Middle Eastern dishes. A popular choice is the chicken, beef or vegetarian shawarma wrapped in a pita for around $4. Also desired…
Numbers games
Journalists tend to love numbers. As subjective as anyone’s perceptions may be, numbers tend to give the perception of objectivity. If a reporter writes that a band is popular, then the editor wants to know how many records they sold last quarter, or how many people showed up at their last show, or how many…
Best Honky-Tonk Bar
49345 Southbound I-94 Service Drive, Belleville; 734-699-7899; diamondbackslaoon.com If it weren’t awesome enough that this authentic country-western barroom is right off the interstate, they also offer dirt cheap beer, live music and, yes, plenty of dance lessons. There’s a classic car show coming right up and word is Diamondbackers like to play games, too. Some…
Best Deli, Washtenaw County
422 Detroit St., Ann Arbor; 734-663-3354; zingermans.com Zingerman’s is more than a deli, with its huge selection of olive oils, vinegars, cheeses and sausages, many from the far corners of the world. With excellent corned beef and pastrami, sandwiches available in numerous combinations, and artisanal breads fresh from the Zingerman’s Bakehouse (yes, they have their…
Best French Cuisine
1055 Trumbull Ave., Detroit; 313-963-2805; lepetitzincdetroit.com Le Petit Zinc is a casual and bright little restaurant that offers delicious sweet to savory crêpes, goat cheese, ratatouille and more French-inspired cuisine. The garden patio is a lovely spot to dine al fresco on a nice summer day.
Best Burlesque Troupe
dizzydames.com Lushes LaMoan, the Hardest Working Showgirl in Detroit, is the maven who leads the Detroit Dizzy Dames, a group known to pop up all over town with their fiery brand of attention-grabbing burlesque. The other seven or so dames do the damn thing with cutesy restraint and devilish satisfaction. What sets them apart is…
Best Gin
tanqueray.com Drinkers love a good story. And obviously they appreciate a good drink. When the two come together, it’s brilliant. The Tanqueray London Dry Gin made today is absolutely the same as the original product launched in 1830. Made from a signature blend of botanicals (juniper, coriander and angelica root) its well-matched with tonic or…
Best Local Gringo Taquerista
Most people know Timmy Vulgar for his antics as the lead singer of the Clone Defects, Human Eye and Timmy’s Organism. Some may be familiar with his visual art, which often adorns the records he’s on. But fewer still know him as a talented cook, one who has worked in numerous Detroit-area kitchens. These days,…
Best Middle Eastern Cuisine, Macomb County
22114 Harper Ave., St. Clair Shores; 586-777-9600 An east-side classic, Sahara crowds them in at its location out in St. Clair Shores. Expect the usual offerings — juices, falafels, hummus — but with a touch of care that made the joint Macomb County readers’ favorite.
Best Thrift Shop
salvationarmyusa.org When all else fails, try the Salvation Army. This stalwart thrift shop supplies everything from furniture and appliances to books and bric-a-brac (and apparently much of the clothing needs of Macomb County) at everyday low prices. It’s a haven for those who need to stock a new apartment on the cheap, for those low…
Best Flea Market
2045 Dixie Hwy., Waterford; 248-338-3220; dixielandfleamkt.com More than 250 vendors populate Dixieland, a perpetual readers’ fave. A true hodgepodge of merch is available for wannabe pickers, including instruments, antiques, collectibles, retro memorabilia, western wear, comics, coins, household goods, clothes — the things you need and the things you don’t, but can’t live without. Dixieland is…
Best Burger, Oakland County
31542 Woodward Ave., Royal Oak; 248-549-0300 6745 Orchard Lake Rd., West Bloomfield; 248-865-0500 Another stubborn winner: When it comes to the Best Burger in Oakland County, Red Coat comes out on top year after year. Choose among 20 add-ons — burnt onions to olives to smoked Gouda — and five breads. The thick, succulent two-handers…
Best Way to Soap up Your Skin
215 S. State St., Ann Arbor; 734-327-4300; thegetup.com The Getup is the go-to spot for mid-century mod style mavens. Its vast selection zeroes in on the ’40s through the ’70s, but if go-go boots, bellbottoms and mini-dresses aren’t your thing, pieces from Victorian times up through the ’80s can be plucked from the store’s bursting…
Best TV Newscaster
WDIV, clickondetroit.com Quick, now: How long has Devin Scillian been lead male anchor for Detroit’s Local 4? Would you believe 13 years? The legend and legacy of iconic anchor Mort Crim remains so vivid that it feels like the kid from Kansas just began warming the seat next to Queen Carmen. But Scillian, the smartest…
Best Cheap Falafel
6540 Orchard Lake Rd., West Bloomfield; 248-855-6929 32748 Woodward Ave., Royal Oak; 248-554-9881 If you’re going to name yourself "Falafel King," you’d better serve a damn good falafel, right? The falafel salad is like a combination meal served in a bowl: A large fattoush sans bread is topped with two mounds of creamy hummus, tabbouleh…
Best Stylish Smorgasbord of Local Coffee, Music, Beer, Art
42 E. Cross St., Ypsilanti; 734-482-8050 Café Ollie’s just a hopscotch down from the main live music venue in Ypsi’s Depot Town; it’s got a somewhat heavy door, echoey wood floors, hot zingy coffee and a fine menu friendly to all, particularly vegans. It sounds like your typical college town hub — before you find…
Best Restaurant for Omnivores, Vegetarians and Meat-Eaters to Coexist Contentedly
22651 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-548-0680; anitaskitchenonline.com Meanwhile, at Anita’s vegetarian items are so tasty and diverse (the Phoenician pizza and the artichoke pie are favorites) that we find ourselves bypassing the meat as often as not. On the other side of the spectrum, carnivores can get in touch with their inner caveman by ordering the…
Best Indie Women’s Clothing, Wayne County
5708 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-875-9280; showtimedetroit.com/span> For nearly 25 years, this Midtown staple and perennial winner has supplied threads to Detroit’s musicians, performers and entertainers — and the scenesters who follow in their wake. But it’s not all leather and lace — although there’s plenty of that — the store’s racks also come stocked with…
Best Reason to Invite Me to the Metro Times Best of Detroit Party
"Because by the looks of this survey …. I really need to get out more." "Because I still stand up for Detroit." "Cuz I freakin’ yodel." "I used to work at Borders Bookstore." "World peace?" Sorry we could only pick five. See you all at the party.Â
Best Comedy Open-Mic
261 E. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-327-0575; gocomedy.net The entire Go! Comedy team meshes in a way that makes for the potentially gut-busting funny times that sardonic siblings often provide. To re-create that magic, metro Detroiters make their way to Ferndale’s Go! Comedy, the new home of improv around these here parts. Go! also offers…
Best Way for Detroit to Deal with Its Debt
Right. Because we really need someone to come in and sell off the city’s assets, like our water system or Belle Isle. Because democracy really is such a quaint and old-fashioned idea that it has run its course. Because an emergency manager is going to know how to keep 20,000 people a year from leaving…
Best Club Night, Macomb County
37722 Van Dyke Ave., Sterling Heights; 586-977-0123 Scores might be super casual, but that doesn’t mean they don’t get super crazy. They specialize in crazy. They’ve perfected their pleasure-providing capabilities into something that could be sold for a fortune if only its allusive down-home quality could be captured. Until then (or at least for one…
Best Bowling Alley
4120 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-833-9700; majesticdetroit.com/garden-bowl No surprises here. The Garden Bowl, part of the Majestic complex on Woodward Avenue in Detroit, is more than a bowling alley. It’s part of a larger experience. Depending on the night of the week, you could be bowling in the dark at glowing pins, or you could be…
Best Club Night, Wayne County
livrestolounge.com Historic Bricktown is a neighborhood we know a thing or two about — and you know what? — it really needed a good kick in the ass. We’re happy to see our readers agree that L!V has provided a welcome infusion of nuanced nightlife opportunities. A reputable rotation of DJs (Sicari, Equad) make their…
Best Folk Venue
316 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-761-1800; theark.org The Ark has to be one of the most intimate of all internationally known music venues. It’s like the folk version of the Apollo. Not only does everyone play here, but everyone plays better. The Ark is a nonprofit organization that has set out to enrich our…
Best Dance Club in the Suburbs
1815 N. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-589-3344; lunaroyaloak.com With a specific set of alluring and affordable music themes and drink specials running Wednesday through Sunday, Luna’s wicked ways are fueled by a earnest proclivity for escapist, dance-floor fun. Uptempo electro pop — and up-tempo remixes of downtempo electro pop from yesteryear and yesterday — is…
Best Barbecue, Macomb County
27475 Groesbeck Hwy., Roseville; 586-775-7427 43203 Garfield Rd. Clinton Twp.; 586-247-7427; lazybonessmokehouse.net Billing itself as "authentic slow-smoked Southern-style barbecue," Lazybone’s has sandwiches for around $8, and smoke plates starting at $8.99. It boasts ‘cue styles from Texas to Kentucky to our own Detroit-style tips. Lazybones caters with party pans that can have as many as…
Best Vintage Clothing, Wayne County
2124 Pine St., Detroit; 313-964-9008 It seems as though beautiful vintage clothing covers every inch of the old brownstone that Rachel’s Place calls home. The North Corktown shop caters to the fashion-savvy with its knockout selection of high-quality men’s and women’s clothing, in all sizes and from all eras. Casual skirts, elegant cocktail dresses, racks…
Best Indie Record Store, Wayne County
22000 Michigan Ave., Dearborn; 313-561-1000; dearbornmusic.com Dearborn Music has been around for more than 50 years, satiating music lovers with a stock of more than 50,000 titles, including the latest imports and rarities and entire rooms devoted to classical and jazz and blues. The always-expanding vinyl section includes thousands of new and used records, and…
Best Sweets shop
541 Monroe St., Detroit; 313-963-9603 320 S. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-582-9220; astoriapastryshop.com Astoria has logged more than 40 years in its Greektown location. How do they do it? By serving the kinds of desserts that make you want to snap a photo before they go down the hatch. And it’s quite a sight: a…
Nutritional Value – Staff Picks
Best New Restaurant Bella Piatti 167 Townsend St., Birmingham; 248-494-7110; bellapiattirestaurant.com Far too many restaurants lose sight of the complete dining experience. Not Bella Piatti, this year’s clear standout among newcomers. The shareable plates and upbeat space are fun, the food is consistently delicious, the wine, beer and cocktails are thoughtfully selected, and the servers…
Best Food at Happy Hour
2030 Park Ave., Detroit; 313-961-2543; cliffbells.com We were going to title this category "Classiest Place to Drink a 50-Cent PBR," but we didn’t want to sidestep the sumptuous food offerings. So instead, we’ll just focus on the outstanding small plates executive chef Matt Baldridge has devised for Cliff Bell’s happy hour. For a mere $3,…
Best Coney Island Maitre d’
 5458 W. Vernor Hwy., Detroit; 313-554-3076 On weekend nights, at a hallowed little coney island restaurant on Vernor Highway called Duly’s, you’ll likely find a real Detroiter holding forth up front. He calls himself "Mayo," and as the bar crowd wanders in for post-beer coneys, Mayo treats the front counter as his personal vaudeville stage,…
Best Bottled Beer Selection in a Bar
175 W. Troy Ave., Ferndale; 248-808-6633; oneyedbettys.com Congrats, Betty! What a momentous, game-changing award for One-Eyed Betty’s, a fresh and welcome addition to Detroit’s ever-evolving beer and live music scene: a tasteful and unpretentious beerhouse, where you can enjoy brews from around the state and around the world. The service is solid, and the food…
Best Wings
More than a dozen locations in metro Detroit see buffalowildwings.com for info If you’re packed into a booth surrounded by a calamity of screaming HD TVs, buckets of chicken wings and beers the size of your forearm, you’re probably sitting in a Buffalo Wild Wings. The bar maintains mid-day and late-night happy hours, and it…
Best Frisbee Golf Park
4300 Main Park Rd., Shelby Township; 248-650-5300; metroparks.com For starters, the sport is officially known as disc golf (our bad). As for the course itself, it’s a 24-hole affair, with a nice mix of open and wooded holes. Most holes are long par 3s. According to the Professional Disc Golf Association’s website, Stony Creek is…
Best Place to Buy Shoes
dsw.com A vast expanse of tantalizing designer footwear at reduced prices makes DSW an obvious stop for shoe lovers. Whether you’re searching out the perfect pair of strappy heels, the latest summer sandals or even a pair of practical tennies, DSW is bound to have it. The wide selection represents brands as diverse as Reebok…
Best Head Shop
21650 John R, Hazel Park; 248-542-6110; for more locations, see buzzbdt.com Another perennial winner, B.D.T. has served metro Detroit’s discerning smokers and tokers since 1973. The shop’s staying power, with three locations to meet your inhaling needs, speaks not just to the power of pot, but also to the potency of B.D.T. itself. The seasoned…
Best Place for Kitchen Supplies
13201 Prospect Rd., Dearborn; 313-945-5600; advancedrestaurantservices.com Our big tip here is a concept. Typical consumers assume that restaurant supply shops are not for them, despite signs that say "Open to the Public." And thus most of us miss out on great buys, great advice and a great shopping experience. True, a place like Advanced in…
Best Eastern European Cuisine
2990 Yemans St., Hamtramck; 313-874-5726; thepolishvillagecafe.com Your polish grandmother would approve — Polish Village Café is known for its authentic pierogis, potato pancakes, dill pickle soup, and stuffed cabbage, all moderately priced. There’s usually a line, but it’s worth the wait. Cash only.
Best Scotch
johnniewalker.com Selling more than 130 million bottles of Johnnie Walker a year, this isn’t only Detroit’s favorite scotch, but the entire world’s as well. An 80-proof blend of 40 whiskies aged for 12 years, the recipe is doctrine for blended scotch since 1909. It’s smoky, classy and just complicated enough to love. Â
Best Hair Salon, Oakland County
251 W. Nine Mile, Ferndale; 248-544-1400;    flipsaloninc.com Flip combines a hip vintage aesthetic with up-to-the-minute style techniques and trends, providing a full range of services, including cuts, color, massage, makeup, manis and pedis. The comfy atmosphere allows clients to sit back and fully relax while Flip’s skilled stylists work their beauty magic.…
Best Soul Food, Detroit
575 Bellevue St., Detroit; 313-393-4930; southernfiresrestaurant.com Southern Fires packs ’em in, particularly the Sunday after-church crowd. The prices here are family-oriented (lots of food at low cost). Sweet, cheerful-yellow cornbread comes with your entrée and you get the traditional choice of two sides, which include mac and cheese, collard greens, fried corn, mashed potatoes and…
Best Way to Improve Downtown Birmingham
Birmingham City Manager Bob Bruner helped us put it in perspective in an e-mail: "There is no such thing as ‘free’ parking. If the driver does not pay it just means someone else does! Free parking has contributed to auto dependence, urban sprawl, extravagant energy use, and a host of other problems. Fair market pricing…
Best Comic Book Shop, Washtenaw County
219 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-998-1413; vaultofmidnight.com For more than 15 years, this downtown Ann Arbor shop has served as a one-stop shopping destination for geeks of all varieties. Not only does it carry a large selection of graphic novels and comics, from decades-old rarities to the latest mainstream titles and hard-to-find small-press issues,…
Best Italian without Tomatoes
22023 Michigan Ave., Dearborn; 313-277-2426; Entrées with tomato sauce are rare at Ciao, even on the pizzas; mushrooms are more frequent. If you get tomatoes, they’re either sun-dried or combined with something high in butterfat, as in "Gorgonzola tomato cream." Instead, the long and luscious list is made up of Italian fare that often feels…
Best Restaurant to Spend Less Than $15, Macomb County
71 N. Main St., Mt. Clemens; 586-468-4200; seeburgerscheeseburgers.com Owner Todd loves to talk burgers at this counter service restaurant. The sliders are especially tasty, served three in a basket, and topped with caramelized onions and cheese. But there’s more to Seeburger’s than just burgers; they also offer meat-filled Italian panini or a generous antipasto salad.…
Best Candidate for President in 2012
By a landslide, with Ron Paul in the dust, Mitt Romney further behind and Rick Santorum with three votes putting him ahead of two-vote Newt Gingirch and such one-vote wonders as Weird Al Yankovic, Charlie LeDuff, Elmo, Gary Johnson, George Clooney, Hillary Clinton, Jerry Vile, Kwame Kilpatrick, Mickey Mouse, Sheefy McFly, the Other Guy, They…
Best Happy Hour, Macomb County
42305 Garfield Rd., Clinton Twp.; 586-263-0300; wiseguysbarandgrill.com Playing off the well-trod Italian stereotype of being connected to organized crime, the "wiseguys" are all about family; and when you walk through the door, you’re welcomed in as such — unless you’re a mook. Any time you spend here will likely be time well-spent, but those hours…
Best Radio Personality
The Craig Fahle Show, WDET-FM (101.9); wdetfm.org; 10-noon, 6-8 p.m., Monday-Friday Much of what’s called talk radio — on the right, especially, but sometimes on less-prominent left talk radio too — is more like shout radio, the blare of ideological megaphones in echo chambers. The NPR style tends to talk as conversation, talking with rather…
Best Free Thing to Do on a Friday Night for WSU Students
5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-833-7900; dia.org The Detroit Institute of Arts, for most, probably doesn’t mesh well with your typical escapist collegiate lifestyle. But, after book-pounding the entire week, broke students looking to get it up for an evening that fits nonexistent budgets, the DIA is an idea that smokes. Open till 10 p.m. Fridays,…
Best Cheap Breakfast, Macomb County
34220 Van Dyke Ave., Sterling Heights; 586-939-1370 44945 Morley Dr., Clinton Twp.; 586-465-5514 58884 Van Dyke Rd., Washington; 586-677-4135; thepantryrestaurant.com Whether you’re breakfasting or brunching, Macombers agree, the Pantry is the place to go. A successful mini-chain that’s been catering to locals for years with the usual eggs, waffles and pancakes, the Pantry also offers…
Best Indie Bookstore in the Suburbs
26010 Greenfield Rd., Oak Park; 248-968-1190; thebookbeat.com Besides shelves bursting with books — including titles you won’t find at big box retailers, killer music and photography sections, beautiful art books, oodles of local titles and a superb children’s section — besides all that, Book Beat also provides a feeling of community. Friendly and knowledgeable staffers…
Best Indie Women’s Clothing, Macomb County
salvationarmyusa.org When all else fails, try the Salvation Army. This stalwart thrift shop supplies everything from furniture and appliances to books and bric-a-brac (and apparently much of the clothing needs of Macomb County) at everyday low prices. It’s a haven for those who need to stock a new apartment on the cheap, for those low…
Best Indian Cuisine, Oakland County
72 W. Maple Rd., Troy; 248-269-0100; priyarestaurant.com Priya’s vast menu of South Indian food contains massive portions of hard-to-find dishes, such as rice-lentil crêpes stuffed with onion-chili-ginger mix or curry. Food is cooked in the tandoor, a clay oven that gives the dishes their tender consistency.
Best Coney Island, Oakland County
1812 N. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-398-6111; more locations at nationalconeyisland.com Located just across the street from Luna, this coney island is open 24 hours, perfect for satisfying late-night stomach rumblings at 3 a.m. or taking a midday lunch break. Although their coney dog is their most popular seller, don’t be afraid to try a…
Best Thing About Local Right-Wing Radio
Granted, Charlie usually comes off as being entirely overcaffeinated, especially at 6 in the morning. And his voice is set at a constant level: LOUD! But for a guy who occupies the same home on the local radio dial as extremist nut jobs like Glenn Beck and Laura Ingram, Langton is refreshingly — dare we…
Best Bottled Beer Selection in a Bar
175 W. Troy Ave., Ferndale; 248-808-6633; oneyedbettys.com Congrats, Betty! What a momentous, game-changing award for One-Eyed Betty’s, a fresh and welcome addition to Detroit’s ever-evolving beer and live music scene: a tasteful and unpretentious beerhouse, where you can enjoy brews from around the state and around the world. The service is solid, and the food…
Best Day to Be a Fish at the Belle Isle Aquarium
Though the Belle Isle Aquarium officially closed its doors to the public back in 2005, there’s still one day a year when metro Detroiters can get their fill of early 20th century watery amusements. As part of Shiver on the River, Belle Isle’s cold-weather celebration held annually in early February, the Belle Isle Aquarium opens…
Best Outdoor or Patio Dining, Wayne County
17546 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-865-0331; ldvrestaurant.net La Dolce Vita is one of those gems Detroit offers to those in the know, marked only by the neon letters LDV on a building just north of McNichols Road. Park in back, then walk through a courtyard that, in summertime, will transport you to a romantic oasis. Sunday…
Best Local Liquor
161 Vester St., Ferndale; 248-629-9951; valentinevodka.com Who would’ve guessed that vodka would have turned out to be such a lucrative venture in a down economy? A guy who worked on Wall Street and then moved back to his native state with the mission of perfecting the ancient art of vodka distillation, a process he feels…
Best New Pro Sports Team
theaudl.com, detmechanix.com Go ahead and laugh at the American Ultimate Disc League. But the professional Ultimate Frisbee organization kicked off this month, and its Detroit-based team, the Detroit Mechanix, is ready for action. And the Pontiac Silverdome is going to see some consistent action again courtesy of the Mechanix home games. It’s a bit like…
Best Casino Craps
1777 3rd St., Detroit; 313-465-1777; mgmgranddetroit.com Talk about a sure bet! Wow! Just about sweeping the casino categories, taking the top prize for guaranteed fun and potentially lucrative slots, craps, and poker tables, MGM Grand, with its amazing restaurants and dance clubs, is far and away Detroit’s favorite casino.
Best Local Sports Story
This Lions team is unlike any that we’ve seen before. They are young, talented, physical and exciting to watch. And with all due respect to our good friend Justin Durant, Calvin Johnson is the clear pick for best Lions player. His new contract suggests that the top brass in the Lions organization agree with you.…
Best Place to Buy a Car, Wayne County
37300 Michigan Ave., Wayne; 734-721-2600 21531 Michigan Ave., Dearborn; 800-736-9081 Jack Demmer has been hawking Ford vehicles for more than 50 years, branching out with its Dearborn Lincoln Mercury dealership in ’98. The family-owned business strives to set itself apart from the dealership pack by offering exceptional customer service, both on the sales floor and…
Best Soul Food, Suburbs
29508 Northwestern Hwy., Southfield; 248-208-1680; beanscornbread.com This is the place for upscale soul food with a fresh twist, including excellent meat loaf, salmon croquettes and a dreamy sweet potato cheesecake. Arrive early and plan to stand in line for this perpetually full house. A busy, colorful dining spot which features bright artwork and a bustling…
Best Brewpub or Microbrewery, Washtenaw County
720 Norris St., Ypsilanti; 734-480-2739; <a href="http://arborbrewing.com" target="_blank"arborbrewing.com Operating on the "reverse mullet" premise (i.e. party in the front, business in the back), CB is a cozy microbrewery equipped with a beer garden and a special tasting room. They’ll open at noon, and you can kick back with a pint of one of usually eight…
Best Local Pro Athlete
It is a special, magical feeling just watching Justin Verlander step onto the mound, a knots-in-your-stomach-and-a-smirk-you-can’t-wipe-away feeling. Not only did he unanimously win the American League Cy Young award, but he defied statistics and history by becoming the first starting pitcher since 1986 to become MVP. He threw a no-hitter to boot. Verlander set a…
Best Chinese Cuisine, Washtenaw County
TIE Middle Kingdom 332 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-668-6638; annarbormiddlekingdom.net San Fu 625 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-668-4787; everydaychinesefood.com Middle Kingdom serves up Americanized fare, such as sesame chicken, chow mein and spicy shrimp, and even grander dishes, such as lobster. San Fu, however, is a popular takeout spot for students, serving the…
Best Bar for a Last-Call Hookup
22901 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-541-1600; boogiefevercafe.com A perennial, libidinal winner, Boogie Fever has defined itself as a place where mature women prowl for boytoys and a seemingly endless brigade of bachelorette parties swoop in wearing sashes, sucking out of penis straws, shaking their shit when Blondie drops. Some men hover, trying to get noticed or…
Best Burger, Wayne County
23700 Michigan Ave., Dearborn; 313-565-2577; millersbar.com Metro Times readers consistently rate Miller’s Bar’s burger best in Wayne County. Don’t let the simple setting and limited menu options fool you, the choices are few, but they’re finely tuned classics. Table service has been paperless for years — all on the honor system. Don’t ask for a…
Best Barbecue, Wayne County
2138 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-962-9828; slowsbarbq.com This nationally recognized Corktown gem is packed with faithful barbecue fans willing to wait over fancy beer or wine selections for the delicious Carolina-style pulled pork, the sharp and creamy mac-n-cheese, or the flaky catfish. And our readers voted it best barbecue in the county.
Best Coney Island, Washtenaw County
402 W. Michigan Ave., Ypsilanti; 734-485-2008 Billing itself as "Ypsilanti’s finest four-star coney dog, steak-and-egg joint," this popular after-bar stop has a kind of self-deprecating humor. Whether you’re rolling in with crazy bed head for eggs over easy with "burned" hash browns in the morning, or sopping up booze and making ironic jukebox selections at…
Best Place to Get Yer Work on at Night
165 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-542-2438; javahuttferndale.com Want to settle in somewhere for serious stints of getting shit done with — just, maybe — not too much seriousness. Java Hutt’s the ideal encampment. Many local band members, crafters and artists slide through this caffeine-kick chute on their morning commutes — which suggests an inspirado…
Best Bottled Beer Selection in a Bar
175 W. Troy Ave., Ferndale; 248-808-6633; oneyedbettys.com Congrats, Betty! What a momentous, game-changing award for One-Eyed Betty’s, a fresh and welcome addition to Detroit’s ever-evolving beer and live music scene: a tasteful and unpretentious beerhouse, where you can enjoy brews from around the state and around the world. The service is solid, and the food…
Best Outdoor or Patio Dining, Washtenaw County
812 Monroe St., Ann Arbor; 734-662-5414 Located south of U-M’s Ann Arbor campus, Dominick’s serves up pizza, pasta, apps and sammiches. Two faves are the chicken quesadilla and the tomato bruschetta on a toasted baguette. Michigan microbrews are also on tap. And then there are the sprawling outdoor options, as seating is available in three…
Best Happy Hour, Washtenaw County
56 E. Cross St., Ypsilanti; 734-483-1490; sidetrackbarandgrill.com There are all sorts of happy hours going on at Sidetracks. So many, in fact, that there’s no surprise this place took home the gold. Dig it: From 4 to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, pints of kind beer run $3.25 and all wine is half-off. Mmmm. Wine.…
Best Brewpub Food
311 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; 734-913-2730;  jollypumpkin.com One of the state’s finest breweries, Jolly Pumpkin, opened a restaurant in Ann Arbor a couple of years ago. Food at many brewpubs is notoriously mediocre, so it was a pleasant surprise when their menu featured some genuinely delicious fare. Clog your arteries with a mammoth…
Best Dive Bar, Oakland County
309 S. Center St., Royal Oak; 248-545-2235 But where’s their website, Metro Times? Oh, perhaps you don’t fully comprehend what a dive bar is. But here’s a perfect learning opportunity, which is also a good enough excuse for a shot of whiskey! See, dear reader, a real dive bar doesn’t care about a freakin’ website.…
Best Wine Selection in a Store, Oakland County
1203 S. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-541-1414; holiday-market.com The folks at Holiday Market have expanded from the snug neighborhood butcher shop they opened in the 1950s to the 60,000-square-foot market we know today, but the same foundation of quality and service remain. Whether you’re a seasoned beer-lover or just looking to upgrade your taste in…
Best Casino Poker
1777 3rd St., Detroit; 313-465-1777; mgmgranddetroit.com Talk about a sure bet! Wow! Just about sweeping the casino categories, taking the top prize for guaranteed fun and potentially lucrative slots, craps, and poker tables, MGM Grand, with its amazing restaurants and dance clubs, is far and away Detroit’s favorite casino.
Best Free Agent for Tigers To Pick Up
When thinking about the Tiger’s offseason this year, the term "go big or go home" comes to mind. Last summer was almost amazing, we almost had a really special team, and we almost got back to the World Series. But we didn’t. Mike Ilitch and Dave Dombrowski don’t seem to have much time for almost…
Best Century-Old Business Reborn Under a New Name
2468 Market St., Detroit; 313-831-2020 Longtime patrons of Detroit’s Eastern Market got a good scare last year with the announcement that the venerable R. Hirt Jr. company, founded in 1887 and run by four generations of the same family, was closing its doors. As it turned out, fortunately for fans of the vendor of specialty…
Best Hair Salon, Wayne County
4215 Cass Ave., Detroit; 313-833-5006; curulupanddyedetroit.com This full-service salon offers all the amenities guaranteed to make customers look and feel good. While MT readers consistently honor its hair cutting chops, the salon also offers facials, makeup application, massage and nail services. Along with taming unruly locks, the salon focuses on health and sustainability, making recycling…
Best Throwback That Stubbornly Hangs On
5249 Joseph Campau St., Detroit; 313-925-5335; ivanhoecafe-pyc.com Ask most Detroiters how to get to the Ivanhoe Café, and you’ll likely get a bewildered look in response; not so much if you call it the Polish Yacht Club. For more than 100 years, this landlocked spot has been the place to get some of the best…
That’s cold, baby
This may be one of the warmest springs Detroiters can remember — but 23-year-old DJ and Something Cold founder Justin Carver is keeping it frosty with the best — and weirdest — coldwave minimal synth this side of the Atlantic. Billed as a social club and roving dance party, Something Cold has been popping up…
Best Alley for Altered-State Bowling
No surprises here. The Garden Bowl, part of the Majestic complex on Woodward Avenue in Detroit, is more than a bowling alley. It’s part of a larger experience. Depending on the night of the week, you could be bowling in the dark at glowing pins, or you could be aiming your ball at a hapless…
Best Place to Buy a Car, Macomb County
30800 Gratiot Ave., Roseville; 800-362-4259;   jeffreyauto.com Roy O’Brien Ford 22201 E. Nine Mile Rd., St. Clair Shores; 586-776-7600; royobrien.com It’s tough to beat repeat winner Roy O’Brien — established in 1946, it’s consistently ranked as one of the top Ford dealers in the county — but, two other Macomb dealerships managed to muscle…
Best Wine Selection in a Store, Washtenaw County
375 N. Maple Rd., Ann Arbor; 734-827-5000 for other locations, see plummarket.com Plum Market has plenty of features to recommend it to local gourmands — excellent cheeses, amazing chocolates, natural and local products — but it’s the wine that won over MT readers. The store’s considerable selection represents a wide variety of regions and vintages,…
Best Inner-City Duck Farm
4121 Neff Ave., Detroit; East side Detroiter Suzanne Scoville wasn’t always crazy about raising fowl. But when the opportunity to raise ducks for eggs — for culinary use at Detroit’s Woodbridge Pub — came her way, she turned the yards of the properties she owns on Neff Avenue into a haven for a brace of…
Best Chicken and Waffles
1660 Fort St., Lincoln Park; 313-389-9623; fortstreetbeer.com Fort Street Brewery’s Chicken and Waffles dish appears under the menu heading "A League of Its Own" — and our readers couldn’t agree more. Providing a cool, Northern twist on a traditionally Southern meal, Fort Street Brewery serves up a crisp Belgian waffle topped with cheddar cheese, beer-battered…
Best Gardening Deal for City Residents
313-285-2300; detroitagriculture.net A joint endeavor of such organizations as the Greening of Detroit, Earthworks Farm and the Detroit Agricultural Network, the Garden Resource Program provides seeds, plants, educational classes and more for new and existing urban gardens in Detroit, Highland Park and Hamtramck. Last year, the program offered resources to 1,351 urban vegetable gardens. The…
Best Place to Put Up Visitors on the Cheap
2700 Vermont St., Detroit; 313-451-0333; hosteldetroit.com Upon hearing the words "Hostel Detroit," travelers may be tempted to imagine a dark, drafty warehouse affording little comfort — but they couldn’t be more wrong. Located in one of Corktown’s historic corner storefronts, Hostel Detroit has a decidedly bed and breakfast feel — fresh flowers and potted plants…
Best Bar to Meet Someone
2130 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-962-0123; sugarhousedetroit.com On a recent night out at the Sugar House — a Prohibition-style "speakeasy" tucked somewhat inconspicuously next to that one barbecue joint in Corktown — a millionaire housewife and a punk rock drummer met at the bar. A New Orleans jazz duo helped set the scene and, after a…
Best Bakery, Wayne County
422 W. Willis St., Detroit; 313-832-0008; avalonbreads.net Sure, Avalon’s breads are among the best, regularly featured at restaurants far beyond their Cass Corridor location. But if you like your sandwiches made for you, show up at lunchtime as the focaccia comes out of the oven. It might be topped with organic roasted zucchini, tomatoes, basil…
Best Vintage Clothing, Washtenaw County
215 S. State St., Ann Arbor; 734-327-4300; thegetup.com The Getup is the go-to spot for mid-century mod style mavens. Its vast selection zeroes in on the ’40s through the ’70s, but if go-go boots, bellbottoms and mini-dresses aren’t your thing, pieces from Victorian times up through the ’80s can be plucked from the store’s bursting…
Best Inexpensive Indian Cuisine
28636 Ford Rd., Garden City; 734-513-3663 (FOOD); krishnacatering.com The menu in this bare-bones vegetarian operation (plasticware, serve-yourself water from a cooler) tops out at $9, but many dishes are less than $6. Most of the business is carry-out, but sit down and get acquainted with such street food as chats and other dishes from north…
Best Mexican Cuisine, Oakland County
28 S. Broadway St., Lake Orion; 248-693-0100; mysagebrushcantina.com The chips and salsa are made in-house, and the guacamole is fresh and tasty. Sagebrush offers traditional Mexican staples, as well as signature dishes, such as shrimp ranchero. Expect to be carried out after ordering the chimichanga: It’s large enough to feed you for a week.
Best Adult Novelty Shop
124 W. Fourth St., Royal Oak; 248-541-3979;   noirleather.com For more than a quarter-century, Noir Leather has been metro Detroit’s prime purveyor of kink, offering BDSM toys, leather gear, sexy threads, lingerie and almost anything necessary to satisfy any taste. But what really sets Noir apart from other adult shops is its constant community…
Best Place to Eat Your Way to Social Justice
311 E. Grand River Ave., Detroit; 313-496-1212;   colors-detroit.com Newly opened in 2011, COLORS is a restaurant whose motto — "Just. Good. Food." — belies its ultimate purpose. There is good food, to be sure, such as the grilled cheese with Zingerman’s cheeses on Avalon bread, the tasty sweet potato fried wontons, and the…
Best Hip-Hop Night
3930 Cass Ave., Detroit; 313-831-3830 All kinds of rhyme-prone characters show up to Blue Collar Gentlemen parties. It’s an event where the underground rears its ugly head and everyone who’s paying attention pays their respects. From time to time, there’s some unexpected cameo, and the night gets becomes fleeting folklore. You never know who’s going…
Best Art Idea to Steal
oldtownscrapfest.com This isn’t a big-purse undertaking like Grand Rapids’ ArtPrize, and it doesn’t generate international waves, but it is modest in size, cool and easy to replicate. Sculpture teams get one hour to grab as much as 500 pounds of junk of their choosing at a scrap yard, then two weeks to build sculptures that…
Best Makeup Studio
23341 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248- 439-6010; rougemakeupandnails.com At ROUGE, the traditional salon approach of harsh beauty treatments built around toxic chemicals is a complete unknown. Instead, pampering comes courtesy of all-natural cosmetics and vegan and organic skincare. After all, it just makes sense that makeovers shouldn’t just make you look good, but also be good…
Best Bourbon
makersmark.com The first bottle of Maker’s Mark featured the brand’s distinctive red wax seal when it was produced in 1958. Every bottle since gets the dip so you know it’s legit. No other liquor is allowed by law of copyright. It’s that handcrafted quality, too, that makes Maker’s Mark such a special bourbon. The original…
Best Sushi
45 E. 14 Mile Rd., Clawson; 248-585-2314; noblefish.com Out front are aisles of packaged foodstuffs. But in back is a magnificently serene sushi bar, staffed by iron chefs of the first order: a no-nonsense, inexpensive, delicious alternative to too-Westernized sushi madness. The insular Japanese keep things intensely focused, be it decor or food customs or…
Best African Cuisine
545 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-547-6699 221 E. Washington St., Ann Arbor; 734-998-4746; bluenilemi.com The Blue Nile is a great place to explore traditional Ethiopian dining. This includes eating with your hands (although American utensils are available on request), sharing the injera, a tangy flat bread used to scoop up morsels of food. The…
Best Place to Buy Skates/Skateboard/etc
29862 Woodward Ave., Royal Oak; 248-545-5700 1500 N. Stephenson Hwy., Royal Oak; 248-547-SKATE; for Lansing location, see modernskate.com For more than 30 years, Modern has been providing metro Detroiters with everything they need to skate or board, by land or by sea. They’ve got all the essentials, from skates and skateboards to snowboards and wakeboards,…
Best Nonstandard Middle Eastern
8731 Joseph Campau, Hamtramck; 313-871-4349 Forget hummus — it’s not traditional in Yemen — and seek dishes far afield from the well-known Lebanese. The 8 a.m.-to-midnight, seven-days café is no-frills — no raw juices, no dessert — and oriented toward men from the neighborhood. A giant piece of flatbread (malooga) is the utensil of choice.…
Best Indie Record Store, Washtenaw County
417 E. Liberty St., Ann Arbor; 734-662-6776; encorerecordsa2.com This past summer, two employees purchased Encore from its longtime owner Peter Dale. Besides tweaking the name — Encore Recordings is now Encore Records, the new owners haven’t changed the place much, to the relief of music lovers everywhere. The shop still features floor-to-ceiling shelves chock-full of…
Best New "Venue" for Inventive Music and Pool
22634 Woodward Ave, Ferndale; 248-546-3644 For a while now the Loving Touch has been something of a scenester’s hub — we say that lovingly. Until recently, Ferndale’s billiard hall (named for a decades-gone massage parlor that had inhabited its space) was the quick and dirty go-to joint for whenever there wasn’t that much else going…
Best Place to Shop in Color
508 S. Washington, Royal Oak; 248-548-1065; ifounditatscout.com This charming Royal Oak shop veritably pops with color, with walls painted a brilliant array of pink, teal and yellow and products grouped in attractive color-coordinated displays. Scout offers a seamless array of new and retro goods — from offbeat kitchen items and funky knickknacks to ceramics and…
Best Sexed-up Waitstaff
TIE Luna 1815 N. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-589-3344; lunaroyaloak.com Hooter’s Novi, Roseville, Sterling Heights, Taylor, Troy; hooters.com At Luna, you make your way to a table or bar and acclimate to your new environment — one that consists of lasers and dry ice, Portishead-Prince-Passion Pit mash-ups and stiff drinks — and you realize you’re…
Best Indie Hardware Shop in the Suburbs
1010 N. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-544-8111 frentzandsons.com This repeat winner also nails the old-school charm of the hardware stores of yore, retaining the same friendly service and down-to-earth know-how that the store was founded with in 1925. Now run by the third generation of the Frentz family, the shop offers all the basic hardware…
Best Italian Cuisine, Macomb County
42705 Grand River Ave., Novi; 248-348-3838; see andiamoitalia.com for more locations The Andiamo mini-chain serves traditional Italian fare in an intimate setting that caters to both romantic couples and families. They serve such house-made favorites as spaghetti, lasagna and gnocchi, as well as more creative items, such as vitello con insalata portabella, a free-raised veal…
Best Way to Improve Downtown Ferndale
Birmingham City Manager Bob Bruner helped us put it in perspective in an e-mail: "There is no such thing as ‘free’ parking. If the driver does not pay it just means someone else does! Free parking has contributed to auto dependence, urban sprawl, extravagant energy use, and a host of other problems. Fair market pricing…
Best Mexican Cuisine, Macomb County
21519 21 Mile Rd., Macomb Twp.; 586-598-7556; see elcharrousa.com for more locations Sure, El Charro offers Mexican classics, but the spot is also popular for its puffy soft-shelled tacos. For dessert, order the fried ice cream or the sopariaz, a fried tortilla with honey and cinnamon.
Best Outdoor or Patio Dining, Macomb County
23722 Jefferson Ave., St. Clair Shores; 586-498-3000; more locations at fishbonesusa.com The outside dining area, which seats about 150, has a lot to offer. The large, covered bar, the stone paving and walls, the marble fire pit and umbrella-covered marble tables offer a kind of European atmosphere. The four 50-inch flatscreens and 30-foot projection screen…
Best New Barbecue
202 E. Third St., Royal Oak; 248-584-4227; lockhartsbbq.com Named after the reputed barbecue capital of Texas, Lockhart’s opened in late 2010. The kitchen turns out reasonably priced, hefty portions, with appetizers averaging around $8, sandwiches with one side around $9 and barbecue plates with two sides around $14. The thin slices of brisket are well-trimmed…
Best New Pizzeria
415 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak; 248-547-2751 Antica Pizzeria Fellini pays homage to pizza’s Neopolitan origins, which evolved from ancient flatbreads, using the dough and the wood-fired oven and the techniques that must conform to rigid standards. The result is soft yet chewy bread, topped with fresh toppings. The best test of a pizzaiolo’s proficiency…
Best Beer Selection in a Store, Macomb County
7001 Chicago Rd., Warren; 586-978-9463; champanes.com Champane’s describes its knowledgeable staff as "partly clairvoyant," able to discern what a shopper desires with just a few, adroit questions. It’s a trait no doubt appreciated by customers overwhelmed by the store’s massive selection of Michigan-made brews and little-known craft beers. And that’s not even mentioning the huge…
Best Independent Grocery Store, Wayne County
honeybeemkt.com This southwest Detroit market keeps Detroiters happily stuffed with its wide selection of fresh produce, quality meats, hot prepared foods and plentifully stocked shelves. It has all the basics of good grocers down pat — clean, bright, well-organized — but comes in heads and shoulders above the rest thanks to its large selection of…
Best Antique Shop
409 E. Jefferson Ave., Detroit; 313-963-6255; dumouchelle.com Its retail salon offers only the highest quality antiques, but it’s really as an auction house that DuMouchelles has gained national recognition. Praised as one of the finest in the Midwest, DuMouchelles specializes in fine art, jewelry, sports memorabilia and other, often big-ticket, collectibles. Newcomers shouldn’t shy away…
Best Bottled Beer Selection in a Bar
175 W. Troy Ave., Ferndale; 248-808-6633; oneyedbettys.com Congrats, Betty! What a momentous, game-changing award for One-Eyed Betty’s, a fresh and welcome addition to Detroit’s ever-evolving beer and live music scene: a tasteful and unpretentious beerhouse, where you can enjoy brews from around the state and around the world. The service is solid, and the food…
Best Korean Cuisine
TIE New Seoul Garden 27566 Northwestern Hwy., Southfield; 248-827-1600; newseoulgarden.com Wasabi 15 E. Kirby St., Detroit; 313-638-1272; wasabidetroit.com We note with interest that both winners of the Best Korean Cuisine category also serve Japanese food as well. New Seoul Garden has the Korean dishes covered, offering such classic fare as bibimbap and bulgogi, even with…
Best Deli, Macomb County
TIE Nautical Deli 23839 Jefferson Ave., St. Clair Shores; 586-776-9898; nauticaldeli.com New York Deli 25008 Little Mack Ave., St. Clair Shores; 586-779-5665 Nautical Deli bakes, prepares and mixes everything fresh each morning. And the menu of soups, salads and sandwiches may not be pretentious, but it does offer a lot to choose from. Plus, Nautical…
Best Bingo Night Venue
515 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak; 248-515-2551; five15.net When we added this category last year, we were half thinking about … well, places our grandparents might be hanging out. Last year’s winner and this year’s, Drag Queen Bingo, is not your typical grandmother’s sort of place, unless your grandmother happens to be Ru Paul. Join…
Best Place for Curious Claustrophobics to Feel Cozy With Killer Music Programing
36 E. Cross St., Ypsilanti; woodruffsbar.com This Ypsi venue has lots of space, but not all amassed in one area, but that doesn’t take away from its cozy ambience, which is particularly augmented by the stone fireplace that stands in the room’s center like an ornate tree stump. This place is nearing its 18-month anniversary.…
Best Dance Club
1815 N. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-589-3344; lunaroyaloak.com With a specific set of alluring and affordable music themes and drink specials running Wednesday through Sunday, Luna’s wicked ways are fueled by a earnest proclivity for escapist, dance-floor fun. Uptempo electro pop — and up-tempo remixes of downtempo electro pop from yesteryear and yesterday — is…
Best Seafood Restaurant, Macomb County
25901 Hoover Rd., Warren; 586-759-0010; redlobster.com Macomb County has great seafood dining, from the famous Nautical Mile all the way out to Harbor House on Groesbeck. So …. What’s with choosing Red Lobster? Must be those Cheddar Bay Biscuits.
Best Place to Shop, Cook & Stay
Above Slows Bar B-Q at 2138 Michigan Ave., Detroit; honorfolly@gmail.com; honorandfolly.com Honor & Folly is the brick and mortar manifestation of Meghan McEwen’s passion for design and travel. The freelance writer, blogger and former editor of design magazine CS Interiors has created a space that is part retail design shop, part boutique hotel and part…
Best Art Gallery Vim and Vigor
1250 Hubbard St., Detroit; info@whitdelarts.com; whitdelarts.com Whitdel Arts set out to be a gallery that wouldn’t feel too much like a gallery. Yet it’s still pretty much a gallery — art will hang on the walls or media will project onto screens or elaborate installations will hang from the ceilings — but this place, run…
Best Place to Buy Home Accessories
Bed, Bath & Beyond See bedbathandbeyond.com for dozens of locations Already reasonably priced, shop with one of their 20 percent-off coupons (which you can find online, snip out of a catalogue, or sign up to have e-mailed or snail mailed) and you’ll be surprised at how many quality home accessories you can afford to take…
Best Successor to Bohemian Home in Exile
It doesn’t have a name yet 1464 Gratiot Ave., Detroit; newdetroitsounds@hotmail.com For a few years, Joel Peterson booked some of Detroit’s most adventurous music at the Bohemian National Home on Detroit’s west side, from ex-Mothers of Invention to the Sun Ra Arkestra to Human Eye to Nathaniel Mayer. After a less-than-amicable falling out with his…
Best Japanese Cuisine
1933 W. Maple Rd., Troy; 248-280-1831; cafesushitroy.com A first-time winner in the Best Japanese Cuisine category, Café Sushi boasts an impressive sushi bar and complete Asian kitchen. Having just won Best Entrée in the Taste of Troy, the tonkatsu curry rice is their most popular dish. It features panko-breaded pork fillet atop Japanese curry. Of…
Best Thai Cuisine
323 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-548-5373 Some things never change. In the case of Ferndale’s Bangkok Cafe, that’s a good thing. For as long as memory serves, everything about the place remains the same. The only noticeable modifications to the interior are a couple of Best of Detroit awards. Even one of the waitresses…
Best Public Golf Course
10100 W. 10 Mile Road, Huntington Woods; 248-543-4040; rackhamgolfcourse.com Rackham is No. 1 because it’s inexpensive, accessible (from I-696, Lodge, Woodward), not long but a golf test. And it has more history: Rackham’s clubhouse was designed by Albert Kahn, with Pewabic tile prominent. From 10 Mile Road, the course looks like a mostly treeless plain,…
Best Tiger
It is a special, magical feeling just watching Justin Verlander step onto the mound, a knots-in-your-stomach-and-a-smirk-you-can’t-wipe-away feeling. Not only did he unanimously win the American League Cy Young award, but he defied statistics and history by becoming the first starting pitcher since 1986 to become MVP. He threw a no-hitter to boot. Verlander set a…
Best Bar for a Martini
222 S. Sherman Dr., Royal Oak; 248-544-7490; goodnitegracie-ro.com Life is good at Gracie’s. The martinis are imaginative and well-executed, rightly priced at happy hour and still worth every penny they charge at any time of day or night. The staff is just as attentive as the crowd is attractive, and when everyone’s snugged tight inside…
Best Eyewear Boutique
160 S. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham; 248-723-1900 308 S. State St., Ann Arbor; 734-622-8056; more locations at seeeyewear.com SEE’s concept is inspired in its design and flawless in its execution: Use the best eyewear designers operating in Europe, hunting out obscure gems and talented up-and-comers; relentlessly review their prototypes and reject anything that’s too pedestrian;…
Best Electronic Club
15 S. Saginaw St., Pontiac; 248-599-2212; elektricitymusic.com There’s simply no denying that Amir Daiza knows how to run a good club and make it successful. The dude has his finger on the pulse of what’s happening musically in Detroit at any given time, and he’s mad skilled at creating prime venues for those genres. In…
Best Indie Health Food Store
Natural Food Patch 221 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-546-5908; naturalfoodpatch.com According to Natural Food Patch of Ferndale owner Joel Fisher, being healthy isn’t just for the wealthy. Natural Food Patch gets fresh organic produce every other day — it’s the same organic fare you see at larger chains like Whole Foods, but without the…
Spend the Night – Staff Picks
Best Art Gallery Vim and Vigor Whitdel Arts 1250 Hubbard St., Detroit; info@whitdelarts.com; whitdelarts.com Whitdel Arts set out to be a gallery that wouldn’t feel too much like a gallery. Yet it’s still pretty much a gallery — art will hang on the walls or media will project onto screens or elaborate installations will hang…
Best Restaurant to Spend Less Than $50, Oakland County
18 S. Main St., Clarkston; 248-625-5660; unionwoodshop.com This retro-style barbeque restaurant serves mouthwatering smoked and slow-cooked ribs, pulled pork and chicken. The pizzas are cooked in a wood-burning oven, and there are also unique vegetarian options, such as the sweet potato burrito. Don’t miss the mac and cheese: It’s made with sharp cheddar, Parmesan and…
Best Pop-Up Restaurant
komodokitchen.com Metro Detroit saw its fair share of pop-ups in 2011, but perhaps none was as focused, as successful or as delicious as Komodo Kitchen. Offering Indonesian fusion cuisine using a range of local and organic ingredients, Komodo serves up spicy but subtle dishes that generally showcase flavors common in (and unique to) Indonesian cuisine.…
Best Place to Bike
Stony Creek is packed with faithful cyclists on the weekends, ranging from expert mountain bikers to slow pedalers. There are more than 14 miles of dirt paths, which include steep hills, gravel, tight curves and pump tracks that take you through the woods and around bodies of water. A favorite among serious bikers is "the…
Best Romantic Restaurant, Macomb County
16981 18 Mile Rd., Clinton Twp.; 586-416-3501; jbaldwins.com Jeff Baldwin, the respected chef who presided over the kitchens at the Whitney and Van Dyke Place, owns this casual eatery that elegantly presents about 30 entrées daily, along with a variety of sauces and accoutrements. Among the entrées are crusty pizzas cooked in a stone oven,…
Best Tattoo Shop
27590 Plymouth Rd., Livonia; 723-425-0428; for more locations, see eternaltattoos.com After being knocked off its MT Best Of perch for a few years, Eternal regains its throne this year. Formed in 1980, Eternal provides indelible artistic ink to satisfied customers at multiple locations throughout metro Detroit. And if you eventually become dissatisfied, Eternal even offers…
Best Middle Eastern Restaurant with Alcohol
32621 Northwestern Hwy., Farmington Hills; 248-932-1300; lechefmi.com Despite the abundance of fine Middle Eastern restaurants in metro Detroit, it can be difficult to find one that serves cocktails and wine, a must for some folks. Tucked away in an obscure strip mall, Le Chef has it all. Owned by a Lebanese family — both husband…
Best Public Project to Push Through
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder is in favor of building a new publicly owned bridge across the Detroit River. So are his four gubernatorial predecessors, ditto the governments of Ontario and Canada (willing to pay Michigan’s share of the project), the U.S. government, automakers, labor unions, chambers of commerce far and wide. Two key entities are…
Best Proponent of Local and National Authors and Oddballs
We love his unironic name-droppage of Kerouac and Keats and Moby Grape, and his unjaded ear for music new and old, and the hours he spends in local record stores, and that glorious snow-white facial hair that’s unrivaled anywhere this side of Mark Twain. We also respect that he’s an award-winning author who can write,…
Best Breakfast or Brunch, Washtenaw County
TIE Beezy’s 20 N. Washington St., Ypsilanti; 734-485-9625; beezyscafe.com Café Zola 112 W. Washington St., Ann Arbor; 734-769-2020; cafezola.com Hardly a surprising tie here. At Ypsi’s Beezy’s, their sign promises simple, honest food and that’s just what you’ll get, with a side helping of the friendliest staff you could meet. They pour on the quality,…
Best Barbecue, Oakland County
202 E. Third St., Royal Oak; 248-584-4227; lockhartsbbq.com Named after the reputed barbecue capital of Texas, Lockhart’s opened in late 2010. The kitchen turns out reasonably priced, hefty portions, with appetizers averaging around $8, sandwiches with one side around $9 and barbecue plates with two sides around $14. The thin slices of brisket are well-trimmed…
Best Desserts
541 Monroe St., Detroit; 313-963-9603 320 S. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-582-9220; astoriapastryshop.com Astoria has logged more than 40 years in its Greektown location. How do they do it? By serving the kinds of desserts that make you want to snap a photo before they go down the hatch. And it’s quite a sight: a…
Best Locavore Cuisiney
2501 Jackson Rd., Ann Arbor; 734-663-3663 (FOOD); zingermansroadhouse.com You can’t get much more local than sourcing from eight miles away on your own farm. Chef Alex Young’s Cornman Farms grows 27 vegetables for the Roadhouse in scores of varieties, including many heirlooms, and raises old breeds of hogs and cattle for diners’ barbecue glee. He…
Best Place for Car Audio Equipment
15270 Gratiot Ave., Detroit; 313-526-3799; mickeyshorr.com This family-owned Michigan-based business will beat any price you can bring in from competitors. That alone makes them an obvious choice for this Best Of designation. Along with the best prices around, they also offer basic in-dash car stereo installations free of charge when you purchase from any of…
Best Cheap Breakfast, Washtenaw County
306 E. Michigan Ave., Ypsilanti; 734-482-0550; thebomberrestaurant.net As the Bomber’s website proudly proclaims, breakfast here is not for the faint of heart. Featured on Food TV’s Top Five Overindulgences, the Bomber is home to a number of popular breakfast feasts including the "Nature Lovers Pancakes," made with blueberries, raspberries and pecans (sunflower seeds may be…
Best Restaurant to Take Out-of-Towners
2138 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-962-9828; slowsbarbq.com This nationally recognized Corktown gem is packed with faithful barbecue fans willing to wait over fancy beer or wine selections for the delicious Carolina-style pulled pork, the sharp and creamy mac-n-cheese, or the flaky catfish. And, perhaps because of its beautifully renovated 1880s building a stone’s throw from the…
Best Gourmet Pizza
2457 Russell St., Detroit; 313-567-7879; supinopizza.com Imaginative fresh ingredients — even an egg — with a delectable thin crust! They serve five red pizzas and six white, meaning no tomato sauce; almost all are made with traditional ingredients. The red sauce is supremely simple, nothing much besides some fresh-tasting though canned crushed tomatoes. The Primavera,…
Best Place to Play With a Mother
2727 Russell St., Detroit; 313-567-2030 So you’re a musician looking to up your cred in the musical version of Six Degrees of Separation? The RGB Trio’s Thursday jazz (mostly) jam at Bert’s is a one-stop of Kevin Baconian importance. Bassist Ralphe Armstrong is a former Mother of Invention, former member of the Mahavishnu Orchestra, sideman…
Best Indie Record Store, Washtenaw County
417 E. Liberty St., Ann Arbor; 734-662-6776; encorerecordsa2.com This past summer, two employees purchased Encore from its longtime owner Peter Dale. Besides tweaking the name — Encore Recordings is now Encore Records, the new owners haven’t changed the place much, to the relief of music lovers everywhere. The shop still features floor-to-ceiling shelves chock-full of…
Best Slider, Oakland County
35075 Woodward Ave., Birmingham; 248-646-7121; hunterhousehamburgers.com Founded in the 1950s, Hunter’s burgers are served on moist hot buns, with a glistening sheen on them. But the patties are all about the onions — the folks at Hunters carefully press tasty onions into the patty while it’s still on the grill. In fact, if there’s a…
Best Farmers’ Market, Macomb County
141 N. River Rd., Mount Clemens; 586-493-7600; mountclemensfarmersmarket.com; 7 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday-Saturday, May-November Here’s an upset of sorts: Last year, Macomb County readers picked the farmers’ market in Clinton Township. The new favorite is a mere few miles north, but leagues away in terms of place-making. Instead of shopping for freshness in the shadow of…
Best Vision for Mass Transit
FWRail.org. Here’s your transit map for a 14-county area, including: Detroit, Windsor, Lansing, Port Huron, Toledo and more. Six rail lines, 71 rail stations, 82 buses, 90 railcars, 25 locomotives and an easy-to-navigate website (unlike those for the problematic services of DDOT). Sound too good to be true? Well, Neil Greenberg — who refers to…
Best Audio Store
4341 Delemere, Royal Oak; 586-244-8479; davidmichaelaudio.com Famous punk rocker Henry Rollins said, "People can hurl any epithet they want about the snobbishness they think audiophiles retain. Let them drink their wine from boxes. The sound of my Bob Ludwig-mastered pressing of Led Zeppelin’s Houses of the Holy coming through my system cuts through their contempt…
Best Irish Pub
349 Monroe St., Detroit; 313-964-0007; oldshillelagh.com So what if actual Irish folks actually steer clear of the Old Shillelagh? Located in the heart of Greektown (isn’t that so Detroit?) this bar is Irish by name and by color, and gallons of Guinness (you can order 20-ounce mugs) and barrels of Bushmills whiskey can be found…
Best Club Night, Washtenaw County
516 E. Liberty St., Ann Arbor; 734-994-5436; necto.com Necto’s incredible drawing power when it comes to pulling in those from outside of Washtenaw County played a big part in this new round of wins for Necto, Ann Arbor’s heathen haven. It’s a veritable brothel full of DJs and insatiable dance music consumers. Gays, goths and…
Best Bar for Bloody Mary
2460 Market St., Detroit; 313;393-1711; viviosbloodymary.com Eastern Market’s venerable dive bar, Vivio’s takes booze just as seriously as they do burgers. But Bloody Marys are their booze-infused speciality. Is it the sidecar of cold pilsner accompaniment that makes it so good? Is it the spicy house-made mix? Is it the top-shelf vodka? It’s all three…
Best Way to Improve Downtown Detroit
There is actually a way to improve public transit — not just for downtown, but for the entire metro region! — currently being debated in the Michigan Legislature. Our solons are weighing the possibility of creating a Regional Transit Authority that would serve as an umbrella organization covering Wayne, Oakland, Macomb and Washtenaw counties, and…
Best Happy Hour, Wayne County
1128 Washington Blvd., Detroit; 313-961-2500; roastdetroit.com Arrive for the spit-roasted beast-of-the-day tacos, or perhaps a "must eat this before you die" bacon-and-egg burger, before rubbing elbows with regional movers, shakers and midday bakers. What’s that, Roast has the cure for mega-munchies, you say? We do say. But the beer doth flow at Roast, with Michigan-made…
Best Comeback
22039 Michigan Ave., Dearborn; 313-582-8400 The name, the look and the menu under new ownership are exactly the same. Portion control is still nonexistent. We don’t know whether new co-owner Marwan Haidar has retained the same cooks that made the original La Shish the gold standard, but they’re certainly using the same recipes. The chain…
People Are Afriad to Merge
A couple of years ago, this band called The Jesus Chainsaw Massacre were better known for their bellicose blog than they were their surrealist punk and post-apocalyptic lounge-rock music… Come to think of it, it’s been a while since I’ve seen them play out live…But, apparently that’s becuase they’ve been piecing together what could…
City Slang: Weekly music review roundup
Remember – if you send it, it will get reviewed. That’s the City Slang promise. It doesn’t matter what genre the music is – as long as it has a Metro Detroit connection, it’ll get in. Preferably, we’d like to concentrate on new releases but, while we’re getting warmed up here, feel free to send…
