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Best of Detroit 2014
It’s the Metro Times Best of Detroit issue once again, that time of the year when you, our readers, are given the opportunity to offer your opinions of all that’s great about metro Detroit. We really grilled you this year, with quite a lot of questions, and you responded in droves. When we’d finished tallying…
Dan Savage takes questions from just the ladies
Q: I’m a 26-year-old girl, and my boyfriend is bi. I assumed he would be less jealous than the average man. After all, a lot of bi men have faced irrational jealousy from women. But my BF is more jealous than average. He accuses me of having slept with my male friends in the past. He…
Record review: Protomartyr — Under Color of Official Right
Protomartyr Under Color of Official Right Hardly Art Of all the local bands to make the jump to a national audience, Protomartyr is a pleasant surprise. With a frontman who deadpans more than he sings, and a brutal, sparse backing band, Protomartyr isn’t the obvious choice for a pre-release stream over at NPR. That said,…
Record Review: The Colourist (self-titled)
The Colourist The Colourist Republic The Colourist is based in Orange County, so one has to wonder why they decided to insert that British “u” into the name. No matter — this self-titled debut is a tremendous example of the alternative pop that is oh-so-hip right now. We wanted to hate this, and yet we…
Shelby Berger, owner of Cloud 22 Head Shop, Main Street Pawn Shop & Patriot Firearms
Shelby Berger and his family have been running the Main Street Pawn Shop in Pontiac for nearly a half-century. Three years ago, they expanded into the building next door, opening the Cloud 22 Head Shop. More recently still, Berger opened Patriot Firearms and Outfitters across the street, completing what he calls his “Bermuda Triangle.” A…
Detroit launches website to auction city-owned homes
(Source: Wikimedia Commons) “Neighbors wanted.” That’s the message on the homepage of a City of Detroit website that launched today to auction off city-owned homes to prospective buyers who pledge to fix them up and move in. The auction program was the subject of a 2 p.m. press conference today at the Coleman A. Young…
Film Review: Under the Skin
Under the Skin | A- If critics could assign their readers homework, I would have you watch Jonathan Glazer’s Under the Skin — not because it’s a flawless film but because it’s the kind of movie that will challenge your expectations of what cinema can offer while sparking meaningful conversations about objectification and dehumanization. Heavy…
Film Review: Dom Hemingway
Dom Hemingway | B Moments after the lights go down and the projector light hits the screen, it becomes obvious why the once-beautiful Jude Law jumped at the chance to gain weight and play the comic grotesquerie that is Dom Hemingway. Things kick off in a tight shot of Dom’s mutton-chopped visage as he launches…
Restaurant Review: Dangerously Delicious Pies
Dangerously Delicious Pies 4626 Third St., inside the Third Street Detroit bar dangerouspiesdetroit.com Slice: $6; whole pie: $30 Hours: 11 a.m.-midnight Monday-Thursday, noon-2 a.m. Friday-Saturday, noon-midnight Sunday The great Jack Handey once advised, “When you die, if they give you a choice between regular heaven and pie heaven, take pie heaven. It might be a…
Tickets for Steven Spielberg, John Williams summer concert sell out in 15 minutes
In case you haven’t heard, two of the biggest names in film, Steven Spielberg and John Williams, are collaborating to put on a benefit concert for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra this summer. In case you wanted to go- well, you’re too damn late. The DSO says tickets to the June 14 concert were snapped up…
Blowout 2014 schedule available to view now
The schedule for Blowout 17, taking place Wednesday April 30 to Saturday May 3 in Hamtramck, Detroit and Ferndale, is available to see now. Visit MtBlowout.com to see the schedule and plan your festival. Follow @City_Slang
Blowout 2014 schedule available to view now
The schedule for Blowout 17, taking place Wednesday April 30 to Saturday May 3 in Hamtramck, Detroit and Ferndale, is available to see now. Visit MtBlowout.com to see the schedule and plan your festival. Follow @City_Slang
Detroit launches website to auction city-owned homes
“Neighbors wanted.” That’s the message on the homepage of buildingdetroit.org, a new website launched by the City of Detroit today to auction off city-owned homes to prospective buyers who pledge to fix them up and move in. “We are moving aggressively to take these abandoned homes and get families living in them again,” Mayor Mike…
Cycle 7 opens at the Red Bull House of Art
Photo from Cycle 6 by Joe Gall/Red Bull Content Pool. By: Ayana Bryant-Weekes The Red Bull House of Art, a multidisciplinary and collaborative art project, relieves the stress of financial limitation or lack of tools and space so budding artists can manifest their creative dreams right here in Detroit. Six artists are selected for a…
Film Review: Draft Day
Draft Day | C+ With the NFL’s merciless total dominance of all facets of culture nearly complete, the sport has even become the consuming passion of jock-sniffing geeks. No longer content with selling on-field heroics, the gridiron industrial complex has labored to build a ceaseless, year-long data stream of stats, projections and flowcharts, and intensive,…
Film Review: Oculus
Oculus | B- When it comes to movies about haunted household furnishings, director-co-writer-editor Mike Flanagan’s Oculus pretty much sits at the top of the heap. I’m not sure whether that’s actually a compliment; given that this is a horror flick about a malevolent mirror, it’s far better than it has any right to be. An…
Film Review: The Face of Love
The Face of Love | C Annette Bening and Ed Harris make a splendid big-screen couple, but these wizened veterans are such marvelous actors that they could probably read actuarial tables and make them compelling. And though the stars are smooth enough to rope us into their late autumn romance, even these skilled thespians can’t…
This is what life was like when the Red Wings last missed the playoffs
(Source: Wikimedia Commons) It lives! It’s been awhile since the Detroit Red Wings missed the playoffs: the team clinched their 23rd consecutive playoff berth this week, the longest such streak in professional sports. And, as you can expect, life was exceptionally different back in 1990. Sports Illustrated’s Extra Mustard blog offers a rundown today on…
Judge signs off on Detroit’s $85 million swaps settlement
The ju (Source: Wikimedia Commons) dge overseeing Detroit’s historic bankruptcy has signed off on an $85 million settlement involving two banks tied to a horrendously complex financial deal to shore up the city’s pension systems. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Steven Rhodes previously rejected two offers involving Bank of America and UBS, an international bank based…
Cycle 7 opens at the Red Bull House of Art
The Red Bull House of Art, a multidisciplinary and collaborative art project, relieves the stress of financial limitation or lack of tools and space so budding artists can manifest their creative dreams right here in Detroit. Six artists are selected for a three-month residency where they are provided individual studio space and materials, allowing their…
I bought my beard before it was cool — beard transplants latest craze
It’s understandable if you must read this slowly to fully digest these words: hipsters are now paying for beard transplants. We’ve all heard of people taking insane measures in order to achieve a certain look, whether it’s through cosmetic surgery or body modifications, but it’s usually to look more beautiful and not brawny. Not surprisingly,…
Sweet Lorraine’s Mac n’ Cheez is coming to Midtown this summer
Photo via Mac n’ Cheez, Facebook Mac n’ cheese lovers, rejoice! Chef Lorraine Platman is bringing her popular pasta joint, Sweet Lorraine’s Fabulous Mac n’ Cheez, to Midtown in August. Our friends over at The Detroit News report the new shop will set up at Cass and Warren, and will sling gooey made-to-order mac with…
Film Review: Nymphomaniac Volume 2
Nymphomaniac: Volume 2 | C- If Nymphomaniac: Volume 1 was about the pursuit of pleasure, Volume Two is the predictable slide into pain, because, in the end, this is Lars von Trier we’re talking about, a man who equates female sexuality with self-destruction. If you watched Volume One you might recall that Joe, our sexual…
Jerry Vile “humbled” to be voted Best Painter in Detroit
We love Jerry Vile and so do you, and this statement that he sent us in response to his “Best Painter” award in the Metro Times Best Of Issue shows exactly why. This is Vile at his sarcastic, razor-sharp best. And he truly is the best. Perhaps of all time. “Jerry Vile, Detroits best painter…
City Slang: High Spirits at Smalls
Chicago-based band High Spirits will play at Small’s in Hamtramck on Friday, April 18. The bill will also feature Ft. Wayne band Lurking Corpses, and Dark Psychosis. Though High Spirits are coming from Chi-Town, drummer Ian Sugierski is a Detroiter, and formerly a member of Wolfbait, the Meatmen, Blue Snaggletooth and many more. The band…
Retiree Tales, Vol. Two: ‘The governor fooled us again’
The ju (Source: Wikimedia Commons) dge overseeing Detroit’s historic bankruptcy has signed off on an $85 million settlement involving two banks tied to a horrendously complex financial deal to shore up the city’s pension systems. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Steven Rhodes previously rejected two offers involving Bank of America and UBS, an international bank based…
Should General Motors survive?
Three months ago, much of the nation was ecstatic when Mary Barra became the head of General Motors, making her the first female CEO of a major auto company in history. However, I was worried, and said so. Not, that is, because she is a woman. That, in fact, was an enormous plus, especially given…
City Slang: Black Dahlia Murder and Wilson up for Metal Hammer awards
Ryan Knight, guitarist with local metal band the Black Dahlia Murder, has been nominated for the “Dimebag Darrel Shredder” award at the Metal Hammer magazine Golden Gods 2014. The full list of nominees can be seen here. You can register to vote for our home boy here too. In addition, Wilson are up for an…
Film Review: Jinn
Jin | C- In just a few years, Michigan’s nascent film industry has endured more harrowing scares, glimmers of false hope, and shocks and surprises than the heroine of a splatter flick. So it seems weirdly appropriate that the latest film made here in the mitten would be a spooky tale about an automotive designer…
Film Review: Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me
Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me | B+ Spending a scant 80 minutes in the eye of the tempestuous human whirlwind called Elaine Stritch is fairly exhausting for a viewer, so heaven knows how she’s managed to inhabit her own skin for 89 years. Detroit-born but Broadway-baptized, the legendarily feisty, gifted and charismatic grand dame of the…
The Ill Itches
It’s not that the Ill Itches can’t write soft, slow and pretty pop songs. It’s just that theirs is the realm of the raw, the fast and the loud. Stephen Schmidt (vocals, guitar) says he’s not sure he could write any other way. Completed by Joshua Woodcock (guitar), Matt Mruzek (bass) and Matt Livengood (drums),…
Five questions with Caroline Smith
With her band the Good Night Sleeps, Caroline Smith played indie folk music up and down this good nation. Nowadays, she’s simply using her own name and going the R&B route. She’s already opened for B.B. King, and she’s from a place called Detroit Lakes, Minn., which sounds cuter than it is. She’s playing the…
Broadzilla
We don’t often have a reason to walk into the Free Press’ grand building, but an interview with nightlife editor Rachel May certainly offers us an excuse to see the place before the newspapers relocate to the Federal Reserve Building on Fort Street later this year. May is, of course, also the lead singer and…
Hey! I’m in three bands: Zach Weedon
“I currently play with the Lee Marvin Computer Arm and Mexican Knives. I’m in the process of starting a new solo project called Wooden Teeth, which should be ready by summer. [To balance them all], you find a job with a cool manager who will always put up with your shit when you’re asking for time…
New releases by Saxon, The Dustbowl Revival, and a Merle Haggard tribute
Saxon St. George’s Day Sacrifice: Live in Manchester UDR We love the tight pants-clad metal of British veterans Saxon as much as the next guy, but, 35 years or so into the band’s career, you have to wonder what value there is in a live album recorded on the most recent tour. It seems like…
McCutcheon chips away at campaign finance laws
Campaign finance watchdogs were up in arms last week, as the U.S. Supreme Court decided to strike down a cap on total individual political contributions to candidates running for federal office. The court’s narrow 5-4 ruling in McCutcheon v. the Federal Election Commission follows a series of recent cases, such as 2010’s Citizens United decision,…
With swaps deals, Detroit’s best interests in question
Detroit Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr sat on the witness stand last Thursday, trying to convince U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Steven Rhodes that he’d bargained hard to get a good deal for the city, and had been prepared to file a lawsuit against two banks if they didn’t bend to his will. And bend they did, he…
Songs Only You Know: A Memoir
Book Review Songs Only You Know: A Memoir By Sean Madigan Hoen Soho, 376 pp., $25 Based on the synopsis alone, Songs Only You Know sounds like a terribly depressing read. In fact, it’s extremely funny. Dark and, at times, poignant for sure, but Sean Madigan Hoen, raised in Dearborn, has crafted a memoir of…
Best Of Detroit 2014
It’s the Metro Times Best of Detroit issue once again, that time of the year when you, our readers, are given the opportunity to offer your opinions of all that’s great about metro Detroit. We really grilled you this year, with quite a lot of questions, and you responded in droves. When we’d finished tallying…
Best Jewelry Store; Best Jewelry Repair
Deciding where to send your beloved jewelry for replacement of missing links, general repair or restringing or resizing of a favorite family piece isn’t always an easy decision. But our readers have vetted Mount ‘n’ Repair for us. They’ll do the simple maintenance like replacing watch batteries, but they’ll also take as much care with…
Best Lesbian Bar
If there is anyplace you plan on going to spread your rainbow wings and get down on the dance floor, Stiletto’s must be it. It has won Best Lesbian Bar for a couple years now, and it’s because the two-room bar allows you to mingle and flirt, while also enjoying some of Detroit’s best and…
Best Casino Craps; Best Casino Poker
Meanwhile, our readers seemed to feel that if you want to get some serious gambling on, if you want to sit at a stool and play a tactical game, then this is the place for you. Greektown features the award-winning Brizola, where you can spend your winnings; or the impressive buffet, for when you hit…
Best Local Sports-Talk Radio
Mike Valenti and Terry Foster are the kings of local sports-talk radio for good reason: They make a great team, bringing a kind off yin-yang vibe to the show, with Valenti as the designated hothead — he once went on an epic, 12-minute tirade aimed at his Michigan State Spartans — while Foster, who also…
Best Local Amateur Athlete
The jammer known as Tiny Ninja (aka Christina Iulianelli) of the Detroit Derby Girls received MT’s readers’ approval again. Having earned an appearance in the Drew Barrymore movie Whip It, the tattooed TN is obviously a fan favorite. Keep those wheels rollin’.
Best Beatles Commentary by a Detroit Free Press Columnist
We were brought to tears for minutes — nay, hours — by Mitch Albom’s ‘get off my lawn’-ish ode to the Beatles and why he believes they’re Still the Greatest Band Ever in a Freep Sunday package in February. Albom’s piece was antagonistic, really playing to his audience — which is more hip-replacement than hippie.…
Best Strip Club in Macomb County
A particularly unkind but witty review on Foursquare.com simply says, “Anyone got change for a dollar.” Still, this Mount Clemens classic is popular with those who want a $15 dance and an affordable beer in a no-frills environment. Sure, the place could do with a lick of paint and the potholes on the parking lot…
Best Draft Selection in a Bar; Best Bottled Beer Selection in a Bar
Apparently, whether you want your beer bottled or from the tap, One Eyed Betty’s in the place to go. Betty’s food is luscious too — filling and inexpensive. The gargantuan burger is gilded with garlic aioli, melting cheddar, and piled with applewood-smoked bacon. All items pair perfectly with the beer selection, or are cooked with…
Best Fake L. Brooks Patterson Quote
Now, we’ve been down on Patterson, Oakland County’s top elected leader, since a New Yorker profile published earlier this year revealed an array of Detroit-bashing remarks from the 75-year-old. The rehashed Patterson quips about turning Detroit into an Indian reservation didn’t resonate with MT readers who offered some worth noting, like an ode to Brooks’…
Best Business to Patronize in Downtown Detroit
Who doesn’t enjoy the occasional gambling spree? Not MT readers, it seems! Even after you’ve lost your loot, or if you’re on a hot streak looking to take a break, Greektown offers up a well-rounded atmosphere with plenty of decent food options nearby.
Best Person to Fill Carl Levin’s Senate Seat
Carl Levin’s announcement last year that he would not seek re-election for his Senate seat came as a shock to some. As expected, it was soon cast as an opportunity for Republicans to vote in one of their kin for the first time since 1994. If our readers have their say, Democrats would hang on…
Best Yoga Studio
Formerly City Yoga in the Buhl Building, BE NICE opened doors above Peoples Records. BE NICE separates itself from the rest of the yoga pants-wearing set by offering smaller class sizes with an emphasis on personal attention — classes can accommodate everyone from beginners to seasoned yoga pros.
Best Restaurant to Spend Less Than $15 in Oakland County; Best Mexican Cuisine in Oakland County; Best Tacos in the Suburbs
Winning for the second year in a row, Imperial’s upbeat atmosphere, playful dishes and attractive prices are all combined in a space that, in good weather, throws open its doors to create a sun-splashed dining area with a hint of Baja breeze. It’s arguably the hippest spot in a dining scene that has become one…
Best Cheap Breakfast in Washtenaw County
The only 24-hour diner in downtown Ann Arbor, this is genuine greasy spoon eating. The Fleetwood looks like a small trailer propped atop the hill at Ashley and Liberty, packing in cheap-breakfast seekers on a dozen bar stools and at a handful of tables.
Best Burger in Wayne County
Another new winner, Sandy’s (by the beach in Redford?) has earned a following with its burgers, somehow rocketing past the usual Wayne County winners. We sense a campaign for these honors was under way, and that’s no problem; we expect businesses to drum up votes for their offerings. Now we just have to get out…
Best Gourmet Hot Dogs
Berkley has seen a number of new eateries crop up over the last couple of years, and our favorite of these is Atomic Dawg. Run by Chef Gary Brenner, formerly of Café 317 in Royal Oak, Atomic Dawg offers creatively topped hot dogs and Corridor Sausage Co. sausages in a converted house with quaint ’50s…
Best Chinese Cuisine in Oakland County
More like fine-dining than authentic Chinese, Hong Hua is elegant, serving such flavorful dishes as an excellent eggplant in chili sauce, and tasty, slightly sweet and crisped mu-shu pork, as well as a full complement of fried rices, chow meins and lo meins.
Best Creative Use of Strip Mall Location
To convert an old Blockbuster is one thing; to set up tables outside a strip-mall spot and make them the place the customers definitely want to sit — that takes moxie. Bill Roberts’ outside tables are surrounded by tall planters that permit the happy diner to see only treetops and blue sky, no intrusion of…
Best Chinese Cuisine in Washtenaw County
Serves authentic Chinese cuisine in an unassuming environment. A simple shop like Chia Shiang that draws a significant ethnic clientele bodes well for curious Western diners who want a taste of the real thing.
Best Local Etsy Shop
For the past year, partners Piper Shano Smith, Doreen Sarrach Defauw and Rebecca Snider have been manufacturing these aptly named creepy and cute dolls, which wouldn’t look out of place in a Tim Burton film. Detroit sports-themed and The Walking Dead-inspired dolls have been popular, but the group also makes custom dolls tailored to your…
Best Italian Cuisine in Washtenaw County
Part of the string of excellent dining options along Main Street, this upscale Italian eatery is located in an old theater. Specializing in northern Italian cuisine, Gratzi combines fine dining with excellent service.
Best Chiropractor
Back out of whack? The Levine Clinic of Chiropractic can put your spine back in line and help you on your way to a healthier lifestyle. Dr. Robert Levine and Dr. Daniel Cohen have both been practicing in metro Detroit for more than 20 years. Unlike other doctors who treat disease after it occurs, Dr.…
Best Tacos in Detroit
Open for only a few months, Alley Taco replaced the longstanding pizza counter in the back of the old Marcus Market. The taqueria has managed to develop a quick reputation for cooking decently priced Mexican fare with plentiful offerings in a prime location. Alley’s tacos are capable of being manipulated to appease the taste buds…
Best Coney Island in Wayne County
You don’t do 90 years in the diner business by cutting corners. Lafayette strives to hold the line on quality. For instance, at many coneys, chili cheese fries come with iridescent liquid cheese. Lafayette heaps on real shredded cheese, which melts from the heat of the freshly fried fries in the proper poutine-like fashion. Plus…
Best Brunch in Wayne County
At this downtown bar and grill, the food is good, the ambience is one-of-a-kind, and the beer selection kills. You’ll find a host of Michigan brews on tap and in bottles, and hearty menu selections, such as shepherd’s pie and Jameson meatloaf, as well as inventive specials with local ingredients where possible.
Best Seafood Restaurant in Wayne County
While Joe Muer Seafood is relatively new, the Muer brand, going back to 1929, is known throughout southeast Michigan. But the relaunched institution has a grandeur all its own, with a big staff, a big menu and a massive dessert cart. They nail down the classics, such as a raw bar, including oysters, a poached…
Best Strip Club in Washtenaw County
Déjà vu prides itself on being the area’s only fully nude strip club, although the tradeoff is that the club only serves pop. Yeah, on some nights, you may see more than your fair share of late-teens desperate for their first look at a booby. But somehow, that makes it all seem quite sweet.
Best Dive Bar in Wayne County
It’s a fine sign that the Bronx and the Old Miami share this accolade — both are Cass Corridor (sorry, Midtown) classics, and the Bronx has both the best jukebox and the best fried pickles in Detroit. The collage of worn military unit patches behind the bar will be the first thing to catch your…
Best Hair on a Local TV Newscaster, Best Local TV Show News Personality
We suspect it’s not just the coiffure, but the movie-star gorgeous face beneath it that inspired our readers to give her the best-hair nod. But what’s most impressive is she does the ’do she does, despite having to start her day at 2 a.m. to make it into the station in time to anchor WDIV’s…
Best Reason for Gov. Snyder to Recognize Legally Performed Gay Marriages
The case brought by Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette to support the state’s discriminatory same-sex marriage ban was a clumsy, embarrassing farce. So we were overjoyed to see the courts shoot down the ban last month and open the opportunity for same-sex couples to legally marry, making Michigan the 18th state in the nation to…
Best Way to Digest What’s Happened in the City Over the Last Few Years
We’ve seen Detroit transform from the punch line to bottom-feeding Jay Leno and Stephen Colbert jokes to the Big National Story in just a few years. We’ve seen a former mayor sentenced to nearly three decades in prison, seen the city’s infrastructure become even more completely unraveled, and watched the filing of the largest municipal…
Best Fetish Party or Fetish Night
By the time this issue reaches your hands, this year’s Exotica Detroit X Ball will have already happened (March 29 at the Token Lounge), and we have to assume that you had a blast with featured performers like JJ Plush and Noir Halo. However, it’s the Fetish Weekend in September when the fun really starts.…
Best Venue to Hang in, Even (or Especially) When No Bands Are Playing
Look, this place often has some of the best punk, metal and alt-rock bands in the region on its stage, regularly under the careful eye of Timmy Lampinen (of Human Eye). If you like open-air cocktails and a good place to bring your six-week-old child, stay far away. But if you dare step back into…
Best Art Museum
Before Detroit entered bankruptcy, perhaps high culture wasn’t on most minds across the country. But the prominence and recognition of the Detroit Institute of Arts has soared since then, as debate rages on if the museum’s priceless collection should be sold in a fire sale to appease creditors trying to suck every last dime out…
Best Person to Oust Bob Ficano as Wayne County Executive
There was a time when Bob Ficano was simply a pawn in former Wayne County Executive Ed McNamara’s political machine. Since then, he’s risen to his old boss’ position, and, while doing so, made a mess of his career. Ficano has been linked to lucrative payouts for county retirees, a federal investigation and, most recently,…
Best Documentary on Detroit
A harrowing picture of the daily battles Detroit firefighters face, Burn drew critical acclaim for its accurate, portrayal of just how badly fires and blighted buildings plague the city. Firefighters attached cameras to their helmets to offer up-close accounts of the city’s daily infernos. If there was ever an appropriate depiction showing just how much…
Best Indie Men’s Clothing in Oakland County; Best Place to Buy Jeans
If you are looking for a store that stocks a better selection of high-end jeans than Caruso Caruso, let us know when you find it. In truth, they carry too many brands to list here, but we dare you to ask for one they don’t carry (and Wrangler and Jordache don’t count). In addition, the…
Best Brewpub or Microbrewery in Oakland County; Best Outdoor or Patio Dining in Oakland County
Black Lotus, which commands the corner of 14 Mile Road and Main Street, boasts an airy high-ceilinged space, dominated by a horseshoe-shaped fieldstone bar. The comfy, eclectic vibe is enhanced on Tuesdays, when the world music of Zap Toro takes over the stage, cheered on by a crowd of regulars. They have such popular beers…
Best Restaurant That Only Sounds Like a Union Hall
The name wasn’t meant to sound like a union hall. Owners weren’t thinking to evoke a big plain room with metal folding chairs and portraits of UAW presidents on the walls, hot dogs the most likely food on hand, if any. Nope, “local” means local sourcing and despite the blue-collar moniker, the food at Local…
Best Body-Piercing
Whether you’re looking to pierce your ears, nose, navel, nipples or naughty bits, Ironclad is the area’s top choice for body modification. Since Ironclad serves a higher-end clientele, they use appropriately higher-end jewelry, boasting implant-grade titanium, niobium and 14-karat gold.
Best New Barbecue
We thought we were the only people who noticed this, but Little Z’s rules. Opened in May 2012, Little Z’s BBQ is a small, unassuming restaurant with great service and some of the best slow-cooked proteins in town. In fact, one of our friends, a barbecue maven who scoffs at some of the newer entries…
Best Mexican Cuisine in Washtenaw County
It would be more appropriate to call Sabor Latino a Latin American restaurant, but they do serve Mexican cuisine, among that of many other Central and South American nations, including such dishes as huevos rancheros, chilaquiles and more.
Best Brussels Sprouts: Showdown
The chefs at both Luxe and ML produce a delicate, feather-light version of Brussels sprouts, caught at just the right moment between browned and burnt and retaining a complex, earthy flavor. ML gets a slight nod because theirs are deconstructed into single spherical layers and dressed with sriracha, agave and lime, while Luxe’s throws in…
Best New Restaurant Concept
Pop-ups have proliferated in Detroit for the last few years, but recently there has been a health department crackdown that put a damper on the scene. Fortunately, Revolver opened its doors late last year to satisfy diners’ cravings for the ever new and changing. The restaurant hosts different (revolving) chefs every Friday and Saturday night,…
Best Detroit-centric retail
Sure, there are bunch of stores in our town hawking Detroit-themed merch, but the Detroit Mercantile Co. is the place where Detroit tourists need to go. A charming Eastern Market location lends Detroit Mercantile Co. authenticity and old-timey flair, while the wares are hip and elegant. You can get flags, T-shirts, books, prints, mugs and…
Best Off-Menu Special
Much to our chagrin, they’re still not on the regular menu, but try stopping by recently opened breakfast and lunch spot Coco Fairfield’s on a Sunday for the best crab cakes Benedict you’ve ever eaten or are likely to eat. These rival the best we’ve had in any fine dining restaurant, with large chunks of…
Best Rising Restaurant Destination Neighborhood
O lucky Corktown, to be blessed with so many establishments where bold flavor rules the day: Slows, Astro Coffee and Mercury Burger rub shoulders on the same block of formerly desolate Michigan Avenue; Detroit Institute of Bagels, Brooklyn Local and P.J.’s Lager House share another, and Ottava Via, St. Cece’s, Green Dot, Le Petit Zinc…
Best Bicycle Shop in Detroit
How can you not love a place that’s making a difference on, with and for two wheels? Located in lower Midtown — still the Cass Corridor to many — the Hub is a retailer, a repair shop and an advocacy organization. Drop off your gently used bike parts — come on, do you really need…
Best Indie Lingerie Shop
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 of fun and functional intimate apparel of…
Best Head Shop
It’s hard not to drive past the Station and not have your interest piqued, with its exterior wood paneling, red-painted garage doors and lingerie-wearing mannequins in the storefront window — like a country antique store with a twist. Inside you’ll find pipes, vaporizers, T-shirts, e-cigarettes, body jewelry, “and a bunch of other stuff you have…
Best Deli in Wayne County
Talk about spreading goodwill! Mudgie’s uses local products whenever possible, roasts all their meats in-house, is dedicated to recycling and composting all it can, and carryout containers are all made of compostable plant fibers. But beyond these ideals, the food is excellent; we’ve never had a bad dish, even in the midst of a busy…
Best Summer Festival in the City
Still free and still corporation-free, Dally is perhaps the purest festival in metro Detroit. It’s undoubtedly changed over the years, but this is still the event that will offer you the best chance of waking up in an apartment belonging to someone you don’t know. The music is always eclectic and awesome, and the streets…
Best Dance Club in Detroit
What’s left to be said about City Club? We all know that it’s a people-watcher’s paradise, that you might walk in wearing blue jeans and a T-shirt and be led out on a leash wearing latex and lycra, that the lights will be dazzling and the electro-industrial beats pumping. City Club continues to do what…
Best Business to Patronize in Royal Oak
This took us something by surprise, dear readers, considering the number of boutiques Royal Oak boasts. But it makes good sense: Holiday is both a supermarket and a specialty bazaar, with high-quality products and a butcher, olive bar and cheese counter all under one roof. There’s also a helpful and knowledgeable staff to guide you…
Best Reason to Distrust Mike Duggan
The themes of “hope” and “change” only go so far for a candidate until we arrive at the same conclusion: Gosh, Duggan is a politician, and what’s to separate him from the majority of overpromising, venal, success-seeking politicians? This past year saw a conclusion to the career of one of Detroit’s most self-serving politicians, Kwame…
Best Action Taken by Mike Duggan
Now, we know Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan’s election bid had its share of ups and downs: legal challenges to his candidacy, being booted from the ballot. And sure, pulling off a win as a write-in campaign was seen as a big deal. (He was an underdog!) As far as we can tell, the election of…
Best Dance Club in Suburbs
No matter how much Royal Oak tries to yuppify itself, hotspots of glorious decadence and filthy debauchery remain, like Noir Leather, Gusoline Alley, and, of course, Luna. Like a little suburban City Club, Luna manages to skirt the underbelly of electronic and rock music, crossing boundaries and defying genres, resulting in a cool club to…
Best Casino to See a Show
The Sound Board venue within MotorCity doesn’t feel like a side attraction in a big multi-functional room; it actually feels like a music venue. That’s some achievement. The neon is dazzling and the whole place is pristine but, still, this is a damn fine place to see the likes of Jewel and Morris Day &…
Best Bar for Under 30s
1815 N. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-298-6875; lunaroyaloak.com 1 E. 14 Mile Rd., Clawson; 248-577-1878; lacklotusbrewery.com Its interesting that this category ended up being shared by Luna and Black Lotus, two very different places that highlight the variety of readers MT appeals to. On one hand, you have this dark, dance-friendly venue in Royal Oak,…
Best Local Music Festival
Well, thank you! We can’t argue with our readers’ pick here. The Blowout has been a longstanding music fest that has showcased some of Detroit’s biggest names, including the White Stripes and even a rather young Eminem. Now in its 17th year, we expanded the annual event to cover Ferndale, Hamtramck and Detroit, with hundreds…
Best Local Policy Initiative to Support
Our readers, again, voted for mass transit, in some form, as the key local policy initiative that we should get behind. But the positive news stemming from last year’s implementation of the Southeast Michigan Regional Transit Authority, the first successful attempt in four decades, dissipated this year, as the agency’s board opted to hold off…
Best Hair Salon in Macomb County
Whether you want a modest trim or fuchsia 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 customers’ needs first, making sure…
Best Indie Women’s Clothing in Washtenaw County
The moniker fits: Mix is a wonderful mix of vintage clothing and new pieces and accessories. It’s easy to put together a rockin’ outfit, complete with jewelry, for a fair price. Find great stuff without having to scour the racks for hours to find a gem. The vintage clothes are only gently used, clean and…
Best Seafood Restaurant in Washtenaw County; Best Outdoor or Patio Dining in Washtenaw County
A hot spot for the freshest top-catch fish and premium seafood for 38 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 its raw oysters, served to order on the…
Best Farmers Market in Macomb County
It’s hard to ever go wrong with a visit to any farmers market, but some are better than others. In this case, Macomb County voters got it right with the selection of Warren Farmers Market as the county’s best. Just the right size, with a suitable number of vendors, many of whom have grown or…
Best Pet Trainer
Trainers Tammy Crenshaw and Sarak Maki are proponents of Positive Reinforcement Training, believing it to be the most compassionate way to train a dog. FIDO offers both private and group obedience classes at their Ferndale location.
Best Vegan or Vegetarian
With more than 40 years in the business, Seva was there first, back in the 1970s. About a third of Seva’s non-egg dishes are vegan, and more can be adjusted to become vegan. There are gluten-free options too. And with the introduction of a second location in Detroit, our meat-and-potatoes town just got a little…
Best Pop-Up Restaurant
Getting a boost from an appearance on Anthony Bourdain’s TV show, the Guns + Butter crew have hosted dinners that are thinly disguised fundraisers for good causes. Some can be quite extravagant, such as the six-course, $100-a-plate dinner that raised money for the Heidelberg Project.
Best Beer Selection in a Store in Washtenaw County
Come for the organic and local food options — stay for the booze. Whole Foods offers lots of beer options — the selection weighs heavily on Michigan-made craft beer, but there are plenty of domestic craft and macrobrews as well. You can mix and match beers by building your own six-pack, and they even serve…
Best Burger in Oakland County
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 require lots of extra napkins. This place never seems to see any sort…
Best Place to get Late-Late-Night Pizza
It’s hard to get food late at night in the metro Detroit area. Sure, there are coneys, but even some of them close, and after 2 a.m. almost everywhere else is shuttered (after midnight in some areas.) Good thing there’s Hippie’s Pizza, open and delivering until 3 a.m. Thursday through Saturday, and 2 a.m. the…
Best Store for Engagement Ring
Brothers Richard and Gary Astrein know a thing or two about what it takes to be betrothed in style. Together, the two have been selling engagement and wedding rings in downtown Birmingham for more than 35 years. The two offer quality name-brand and custom jewelry, and their extensive selection is only outshone by the blinding…
Best Indie Record Store in Oakland County
UHF has quickly become a favorite with Detroit scenesters since it opened in 2010. Quality new and used vinyl is the specialty, along with the requisite dollar bins, new and used CDs and DVDs. Pristine rarities hang on the walls, while the local section is plentifully stocked. The store also boasts a performance space.
Best Romantic Restaurant in Wayne County; Best Restaurant View; Best Wine Selection in a Restaurant
After a soaring, minute-long ride in a glass elevator overlooking Canada, guests can dine at Coach Insignia, itself lined with floor to ceiling windows, offering dramatic views of Windsor. Even more romantic is a drink at the upstairs bar, which affords 360-degree views from the tallest perch in town. What’s more, the wine list is…
Best Place for Minimalist Clothing
SMPLFD is so simplified, it doesn’t even have any vowels. Why stop there though? Why not call the store SPFD? Or SD? Or S? Fair play though, this place does have some neat T’s, including some especially pretty retro-looking Tigers and Red Wings shirts, and a Supremes shirt that looks like it was just pulled…
Best International Winter Clothing Line with a Detroit Connection
Vivian George is a singer-songwriter who splits her time between Canada and Detroit, and also works behind the scenes on TV and film sets — so she knows a thing or two about the cold. Her fashion line, Toast, specializes in making apparel that keeps the wearer toasty warm — perfect for those who spend…
Best Casino Hotel; Best Casino Slots
As far as you’re concerned, the MGM Grand is the place for a comfortable night and a few relaxing hours of slots. It’s the chill-out casino of choice, the place where you want to go and flutter a few bucks without having to think too hard, have a meal, and raid the mini-bar back in…
Best Blues Club
Commander Cody, Mitch Ryder, Jimmy McCarty — the stage at Callahan’s has them all fairly regularly. If a band’s name is synonymous with history, heritage and nostalgia, then this place will welcome it with open arms. Not that that’s a bad thing at all. On the contrary, Detroit music lovers appreciate the past as much…
Best Local Photographer
A hardworking professional photographer and videographer, Venuto writes on his website that he also uses digital marketing techniques to push his five-year-old social media management company SoPlat. He seems to know what he’s doing, having more than 16,000 followers on his personal Twitter account alone.
Best New Job for Dave Bing
We’re know-nothings when it comes to basketball, but we’ve heard the Detroit Pistons have been having a difficult time shooting hoops lately. Luckily for them, a former Hall of Fame guard of theirs is on the prowl for a new career! We’re not entirely sure what the former Detroit mayor’s true accomplishments were besides restoring…
Best Statue to Build Next in Detroit
If nothing else, our readers have a dark sense of humor. A permanent depiction of Detroit’s disgraced former mayor, convicted of multiple counts of fraud and extortion? Sure, the excessive attention given to a proposed RoboCop statue has been somewhat peculiar, but a landmark Kwame site would surpass that absurdity by leaps and bounds. Somewhere,…
Best Local Comic
With his towering frame, faintly sinister good looks, and a mild case of Asperger syndrome, Dearborn native Matt McClowry does not easily fit the stereotypical image of a stand-up comic. But after a few moments of watching him on stage, it’s clear he’s a natural; with a laconic yet still faintly annoyed delivery underscoring sharply…
Best Prehistoric-Themed Supporter of Local Music
With his musical projects Woodman (folk), Ungrateful Daughter (garage-y Americana), and Caveman Woodman (WTF?), Frank has been a mainstay on local stages for years now. But even when he’s not performing, he can regularly be seen at the front of the crowd, cheering loudly for band after band and basically being a diamond of a…
Best Michigan Republican to ‘Retire’ from Politics
Rogers, the U.S. Representative for Michigan’s 8th District since 2001, recently announced he’d be stepping aside to take a job in talk radio. The guy, whom the indefatigable Charles Pierce recently suggested is from ‘Spookyville,’ has basically spent the last few years grooming himself for a high-prized spot as a terror-fighting security-stater. Michigan’s Captain America,…
Best Pseudo-Upbeat Economic News in Detroit
The proposal from a big-time businessman to plant an urban farm (or forest, as it turned out) on the east side drew tons of media support when John Hantz first pitched it. It was cast as an obvious choice for Detroit: The land wasn’t even being used, supporters contended, so Hantz should be given a…
Best Place to See an Indie Film
Year after year, the Main Art Theatre is picked by our readers in this category. There aren’t many frills here other than your usual popcorn and Jujubes. What the art house theater has, though, is stellar programming. In fact, Main Art has remained so committed to bringing the very best in foreign and independent film…
Best New Restaurant (open less than 2 years); Best Restaurant to Spend Less Than $50 in Oakland County
“CAYA” stands for “come as you are,” an apt summary of the upscale casual trend dominating the local dining scene these days. The unassuming restaurant combines barbecue’s simplicity with the exacting palate of an experienced chef, combining ingredients available in the local area and ideas from cuisines the world over to produce honest and delicious…
Best Indie Coffeehouse in Wayne County
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 Flea Market
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 open Fridays through Sundays; check the…
Best Vintage Eyewear
No mere optical boutique, Dr. Joe Ales’ Optik Birmingham boasts unique collections of never-worn vintage eyewear from the 1890s to the 1980s, as well as exclusive contemporary eyewear. You won’t find this stuff at the mall. The store’s hip accessories and funky art objects only add to Optik Birmingham’s appeal. No wonder such celebrities as…
Best All-Around Buffet
A newcomer to our roster of winners, this year Southfield’s Tokyo Buffet Lounge topped our readers’ list of great buffets, and it’s easy to see why: an array of sushi, sashimi, Chinese food and a stir-fry station, as well as ice cream for dessert.
Best Gift Shop in Macomb County
Circare offers unique, handcrafted gifts with an emphasis on local artists. The staff is friendly and accommodating, so much so that more than one customer has expressed the sentiments that staffers act like they are your “personal shopper.” Eclectic, intricate and unique items give shoppers an opportunity to find gifts that really are one-of-a-kind.
Best Tattoo Shop in Wayne County
After being knocked off its MT Best Of perch for a few years, Eternal regains its throne again. Founded 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 laser removal at its Howell store. Founder Terry “Tramp” Welker is…
Best Steak in Oakland County
Expect prime-quality cuts of meat broiled at high temperatures at this primo surf-and-turf establishment, an outpost of the Epicurean Group that’s popular for business dinners and intimate celebrations.
Best Beer Selection in a Store in Oakland County
You can deduce a lot about the philosophies behind 8 Degrees Plato Beer Company just from its name alone — “degrees plato” is a measurement of a beer’s sugar content, so you know these guys are serious about beer. As for the “8,” owner Tim Costello says it’s merely “the most aesthetically pleasing number” so…
Best Romantic Restaurant in Macomb County
Opened in 1953, this cozy, 76-seat restaurant was originally a house, built in 1923. It was purchased in 1993, but the new owners kept the name and the Italian kitchen, churning out an increasing variety of pizza, pasta and steak. It’s an old-fashioned, romantic Italian joint, with a small bar and 13 tables (seven of…
Best Middle Eastern Cuisine in Wayne County
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 Indie Coffeehouse in Macomb County
It’s all here, from the friendly service to the quality coffee to the longish menu of sandwiches, wraps, panini, soups, chili, salads and more. A new winner in this category, Café Far Bella looks like a coffeehouse to watch.
Best Seafood Restaurant in Oakland County
Northern Lakes packs them in at the former location of Charley’s Crab for the very finest in seafood, or so say our Oakland County readers.
Best Party Store
With more than a decade on the block, this Hamtramck party store sells everything, all to a perpetual soundtrack of blaring classic rock. From a tuner that’s continuously locked on 94.7-FM, it not only echoes throughout the store but through special outdoor speakers out in the parking lot. This idiosyncrasy has earned it such nicknames…
Best Deli in Washtenaw County; Best Bakery in Washtenaw County
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, this is deli central for the county.
Best Indie Rock Club
The venue that hosts some of the best and craziest rock shows in Detroit, PJ’s has won this covenant stamp of approval for many years and it has been well deserved. The bar has a steady rotation of local bands, up-and-comers and breakout stars. Not to mention, they’ve also added a record store in their…
Best Place to See Live Local Theater
Last year’s readers choice of the Hilberry Theatre took us by surprise, especially considering metro Detroit’s number of professional theaters, like Ann Arbor’s Performance Network or the Detroit Rep. But this year, our readers picked a professional house. “Perf Net” has been active for more than three decades, has produced a number of Tony Award-winning…
Best Overlooked Local Success Story That’s Not Shinola
An initiative of Detroit Bike City, Slow Roll is a low-key weekly bike ride that draws a few hundred people and offers a look of the city some may typically not be able to see. Typically, a group takes off from a local establishment, heads around the city for a bit, then concludes the evening…
Best Building to Demolish
The train station near downtown has decayed into such a brooding, century-old hulk that it made news this year when someone surreptitiously installed new windows in it. That hulking Beaux Arts masterpiece has been decaying for years, and promises from Matty Moroun that it will be preserved don’t seem to add any actual gleam to…
Best Dive Bar in Oakland County
The casual nightwalker, tiptoeing on the edge of Royal Oak’s downtown, might stumble their way into Gusoline Alley and become enthralled by its walls of Motor City memorabilia and great music from an unrivaled, legendary jukebox that has everything from cheery jazz hits from Thelonious Monk and Dave Brubeck to rebel country from Johnny Cash…
Best Summer Festival in the Suburbs
The sun is usually beating down, and that patch of Ferndale at Woodward and Nine Mile takes on a carnival atmosphere as one amazing band after another takes to one of two stages, and the beer tent is full to capacity. This modest street fair has blossomed into something much bigger, and it’s always a…
Best Local TV Newscaster
Scillian hosts the must-watch 10 a.m. Sunday broadcast Flashpoint, which features a roundtable discussion of the week’s topics. The well-seasoned journalist and anchor offers a trustworthy demeanor that has won over the hearts of numerous metro Detroiters. And the guy has a way with kids, authoring a number of children’s books.
Best Unsolved, Unnerving Mystery
Numerous fires have broken out at the internationally known Heidelberg Project since last year, decimating the art installation. And even after the organization behind the project put together a successful fundraising drive to raise money for security, we’ve seen more fires, and more destroyed art houses. Law enforcement officials from the state and even the…
Best Reason to Halt the Expansion of I-94
Much has been said over the proposed billion-dollar expansion of I-94 between I-96 and Conner Avenue in Detroit. The chief complaint: Widening the freeway would expand the physical gap separating New Center from Midtown at a time when the latter is bursting at the seams with development and investment prepared to spill every which way.…
Best Wine Selection in a Store in Oakland County
Wine is an agricultural product and belongs in grocery stores. Unfortunately, the typical selection in these establishments is bleak, full of corporate labels. But Ferndale’s Western Market brings fine wine to the people. Shelves are loaded with everything from bargain table wines to obscure, small production, natural wines that tastemakers in New York and San…
Best Snacks in a Microbrewery
Falling Down is the newest of a clutch of really great craft beer outposts in Warren. From eight taps flows a rotating menu of brews in a classic range of light to dark. They’re not overcarbonated, and they’re suprisingly poundable, including a blond with Balaton cherry notes, or the malt-forward D-IPA. And the food doesn’t…
Best Indie Publisher
In 19th century England, the top form of adolescent working-class entertainment was the “penny dreadful.” Named for their cheap price and lurid subject matter, they planted the seeds for zines, tabloids and pretty much the rest of alternative publishing. Today, artist Ryan Standfest curates a collection of books made in that same spirit as part…
Best Outdoor or Patio Dining in Wayne County
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 brunch is punctuated with jazz that…
Best Cheap Breakfast in Wayne County
Attached to a Jefferson Avenue motel, the Clique is actually a pretty cool little diner, with that added bit of character that makes it better than other greasy spoon joints, especially during breakfast, when a diverse crowd fills the room.
Best Hair Salon in Oakland County
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. Besides selling high-quality beauty products, the salon also features handcrafted…
Best Place to Get Inspired
You want to talk in hushed tones in Kresge Court, as if you were picnicking in a cathedral. Vaulted skylight, faded old brick walls and Gothic stained-glass windows: not only can you drink in the beauty with your eyes and soul here, but you can drink, and eat, literally. A perfect day is to take…
Best Place to Get a Small Gift for Your Mother
Sometimes, all of the good intentions in the world can’t inspire us to think of a great present for Mom, and we end up buying flowers or, worse, an Amazon gift card. Therefore, why not take the pressure off yourself and still end up the golden child. Without a wander into Nora, you’d never dream…
Best Indie Men’s Clothing in Macomb County
Ironic T-shirts, hoodies, belt buckles, drug rugs, hats, scarves — the Road Show caters to a certain kind of guy. You know that guy — the kind of guy who’s also in the market for lava lamps, lunch boxes, dragon figurines, flasks, Zippos, black light posters and other, shall we say, paraphernalia. They even sell…
Best Pet Day Care
The Cass Corridor has seen an influx of investment and new businesses in recent years, which is why Canine to Five owner Liz Blondy had some great foresight in opening a dog daycare facility back in 2005. Things have been going so well that Canine to Five was able to open a second business in…
Best Chinese Cuisine in Macomb County
While this establishment offers a familiar Chinese menu, it’s all done well, and they’ll prepare dishes with low sodium or low oil on request. There are even some vegetarian dinners. Try their sizzling rice soup and non-greasy potstickers.
Best Restaurant to Spend Less Than $15 in Wayne County
Green Dot gets high marks for its small but tasty “sliders,” whose flavors dance all over the map. One could order shoestring fries and four of the joint’s exotic sandwich creations — ranging from quinoa to tempeh to fried bologna to barbecued bacon — for $15 plus tax. But with the full bar and the…
Best Indie Health Food Store
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 fancy displays and hefty price tags. Their knowledgeable staff will help…
Best Plastic Surgeon; Dr. George Goffas
Dr. George Goffas and his team at Cosmetic Surgeons of Michigan can execute some of the most exacting procedures, including botox, breast augmentation and reduction, chemical peels, facelifts, tummy tucks, rhinoplasty, skin cancer treatments and much more. A crooked nose and wrinkles are no match for Dr. Goffas, who will help make you into the…
Best Romantic Restaurant in Washtenaw County
The historic ambience of the Earle makes it a perfect spot for a candlelit dinner for two. On the weekend nights, expect live jazz 8-10:30 to accompany a meal that can include French- and Italian-inspired entrées from their seasonally rotating menu, including salmon en croute, sautéed duck breasts, pesto-stuffed chicken breasts and vegetables in phyllo…
Best Irish Pub
While there’s no getting away from the fact that Danny’s is an Irish bar due to the green that’s everywhere, this place isn’t your cheesy Irish chain with shamrocks on every wall. Danny’s is an honest, divey Irish pub that’s about as close as you’ll get here to a bar in Ireland. The beer is…
Best Bar for a Classic Cocktail in Wayne County
The Sugar House is a pre-Prohibition-style joint tucked somewhat inconspicuously next to that one barbecue joint in Corktown. While there, you might hear a New Orleans jazz duo while you enjoy a couple of well-crafted sazeracs or some other adventurous drink that gets lit on fire before being poured. Riding the success of the classic…
Best Title for Kwame Kilpatrick’s Tell-All Autobiography
Goddamn, the reader suggestions here were something else. This is why we enjoy posing questions like this to MT readers. The Detroit mayor and star of the Democratic Party earned some exceptional condemnations of note. The selections ranged from a guided approach (How to Fuck Over a City in Three Easy Steps) to the personal…
Best Local Film
Detroit Unleaded made the rounds this year as an expansion of an earlier 2007 short film of the same name, the story focuses on a Lebanese-American guy who runs his family’s gas station and falls in love with a gorgeous woman who delivers long-distance phone cards to the station. Set in Detroit, the film won…
Best Future Stunt for George Cushingberry Jr.
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford became a household name this year after the right-wing politician revealed he previously hit the crack pipe an unknown number of times. To some extent, Ford used the incident to his advantage; his colleagues stripped him of his power, but recent polls showed support for the mayor has actually increased. Cush…
Best Happy Hour for Drinks in Oakland County; Best Drinking Spot for Service Industry Staff; Best Bar for a Classic Cocktail in Oakland County; Best Male Bartender
While seating at the Oakland in Ferndale is strictly on a first-come-first-served basis, the atmosphere is down-to-earth and not at all elite. While early 1900s blues and mid-century jazz play in the background, the staff, usually including the popular and award-showered Shane McGrath, will make you feel welcome. Take in a couple of classic cocktails…
Best Gay Bar
When Ann Arbor’s Aut Bar opened in the mid-’90s, gay bars in Michigan were generally poorly lit backstreet affairs. Remember the Blue Oyster in the Police Academy movies? That was the norm. And then Aut came along and brightened the whole scene up. Who knew — gay people like to drink in friendly, calming environments…
Best Pile of Coal-Black Material to Ban Companies from Storing in Large Quantities
It’s unfortunate that petroleum coke (‘petcoke’ for short), a byproduct created when tar-like bitumen from the Alberta oil sands is turned into gasoline, has crept back into local conversations. Most people believed the battle over petcoke ended last year when Detroit Bulk Storage, the company that allowed small mountains of the byproduct to be stored…
Best Beach
A favorite of MT readers, the beach at what’s no longer (officially) called Metro Beach is just one of the attractions at this splendid, 770-acre Metropark. Be it windsurfing or kiteboarding, bicycling or swimming, basketball or horseshoes, miniature golf or shuffleboard, or just strolling along the boardwalk, there’s something here for everyone. Along with the…
Best Lion
Forget the readers who joked about the best Lion being Simba, or at the Detroit Zoo. After years of futility, capped by a major drop-off last season by a team that had finally seemed to have some real promise, there are plenty of places for disgruntled fans to point the finger of blame. Calvin Johnson,…
Best Pet Supply Shop
We’ve never quite figured out what the “plus” stands for, but once again MT readers picked this chain, originally founded in Redford, as the perfect spot to find everything from argyle dog sweaters to hermit-crab houses.
Best Seafood Restaurant in Macomb County
When it comes to Cajun-influenced fare, it’s hard to find anyplace in metro Detroit that does it as well — or in as big a way — as Fishbone’s. Expect such classic dishes as crawfish étoufée, Southern-fried catfish and shrimp Creole.
Best Bicycle Shop in the Suburbs
Owner Jon Hughes’ DNA strands practically wrap around a gear sprocket. His grandfather Mike Walden not only opened Detroit’s Continental Bike Shop in 1939 but was also inducted into the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame as a coach. Hughes’ parents operated the shop as it moved to Hazel Park and later opened a Rochester-based cycling…
Best Tattoo Shop in Oakland County
When the 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, an artist-run venture co-owned by prominent tattoo and underground artists Dan Rick and Mark Heggie, opened its doors in October 2010. Signature’s artists create all of their own…
Best Veterinarian
Whether it’s routine flea and tick prevention, vaccinations, spays and neuters, or emergency care, MT readers prefer this one-doctor practice for their little friends (as long as their little friends are dogs or cats, that is).
Best Outdoor or Patio Dining in Macomb County
Lots of places along the Nautical Mile have outdoor patios, but only Jack’s has a second-floor patio with all the amenities. It should be open full-time in May, when it will host dinner service until 8 p.m., with DJs starting up a night of music and dancing nightly at 9 p.m. The upper tier is…
Best Restaurant to Spend Less Than $15 in Washtenaw County; Best Restaurant to Spend Less Than $50 in Washtenaw County; Best Brewpub or Microbrewery in Washtenaw County
A cheerful brewpub with house-brewed suds and good, upscale pub food, Arbor Brewing Company has a streetside patio with about 10 tables, some picnic-style and some patio-style with umbrellas. A good place to rest your feet, choose from dozens of beers, have an appetizer (or some ribs) and chat with friends while enjoying the people-watching…
Best Indian Cuisine in Oakland County
Priya’s extensive menu of traditional Indian food sprawls across the subcontinent, featuring sophisticated fare from the north and spicier dishes from the south, including pulaos and biryanis from Hyderabad, or such rarities as rice-lentil crêpes. Herbivores and carnivores will feel equally at home. Their daily lunch buffet offers a good sampling of fresh selections, exotic…
Best Coney Island in Washtenaw County
This popular after-bar stop has a kind of self-deprecating humor, billing itself as “Ypsilanti’s finest four-star coney dog, steak-and-egg joint.” Whether you’re stopping in for eggs over easy with hash browns “burned” in the morning, or sopping up booze and making ironic jukebox selections at 3 a.m., Abe’s will hit the spot.
Best Indie Bookstore in Detroit
Bookworms are most likely already aware of John K. King Used & Rare Books — for years, the hulking downtown warehouse has been a treasure trove, boasting a collection of “one million books, give or take a dozen” in more than 900 subjects. The store’s hand-painted sign and giant glove (a nod back to its…
Best Place to Buy Shoes
From athletic shoes to strappy heels, from summer sandals to boots, Nordstrom gets you shod in style. Their wide selection represents brands as diverse as Reebok and Gucci, Converse and Via Spiga, in men’s, women’s and kids’ styles.
Best Place to Learn to Love Wings
You’ve heard the excuses about chicken wings before: There are too many bones. They’re messy. I don’t like Buffalo sauce. I don’t like to eat with my hands. I’ve never really liked chicken all that much. Silence them all with one visit to the Meeting House. Shoot for happy hour if you can, when the…
Best Barbecue in Macomb County
Bad Brad’s motto is “From our smoker to your plate,” summing up their intention to give diners the best barbecue possible. They start every day at 5 a.m., cooking beef brisket and pork shoulder in fruit wood and hickory smoke as long as 14 hours. Get a taste of the meat in one of their…
Best Steak in Macomb County
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 and the cherries jubilee for dessert…
Best Thai Cuisine in Wayne County
One of the first restaurants to bring Thai food to Detroit, Sala Thai has expanded to three locations throughout metro Detroit, but they still pack ’em in at their original Eastern Market location in a former firehouse.
Best Happy Hour for Drinks in Macomb County
There are actually two Twisted Roosters but it’s the one in Chesterfield that won this accolade (the other is in Ypsilanti). Happy hour runs between 3 and 6 p.m. Monday to Friday, then 9 p.m. to close Sunday to Thursday, and 10 p.m. to close on Friday and Saturday. In other words, it’s nearly always…
Best Way to be Exposed to Multiple Cultures in One Weekend
Don Was’ all-star Detroit jam is always amazing, year after year. But the rest of this beautiful festival is just as good. This is an event that doesn’t require a closely followed schedule. Just show up and discover something new. Before you know it, you’ll be dancing to African drum music like you’ve been listening…
Best Way for Matty Moroun to Convince Us He Has a Soul
Shakespeare once wrote, “If you prick us, do we not bleed?” We wondered: Would the 86-year-old billionaire bleed? We wanted readers to offer answers that could prove Matty Moroun is, in fact, a real person, a man made of skin and bones, who, we could then assume, has actually felt a genuine emotion before. For…
Best Public Golf Course
Rackham, which opened in 1923, was designed by Scotsman Donald Ross. Flat and walkable, the course still offers a workout — and a challenge. Trees, deep roughs and unexpected sand traps ensure a player’s skill will be well-tested. But with rates peaking at $39 for 18 holes in the summer with a cart, the one…
Best Overlooked Local Story
Although not for the same category, many of our readers’ answers highlighted the rise of development in downtown as noteworthy. There’s plenty to feel good about: From the thriving Eastern Market to the expanding urban gardening movement our readers pointed out a lot more matters they felt upbeat about than usual — including voter passage…
Best Local Artist
A multidisciplinary artist, Irby’s work has appeared in multiple exhibits this year alone at Tangent Gallery and the Ferndale Public Library. Irby says in her artist statement that she likes to create in all sorts of ways, especially in mixed-media pieces created with found ephemera. Her work has appeared in exhibits across the Midwest and…
Best Michigan-Made Beer; Best Michigan-Made Microbrew; Best Beer
It seems like just yesterday beer was all the same, sort of like having sex in a canoe. Then came the flavor. And the brewery founded by Larry Bell in 1983 deserves a share of the thanks for that revolution, as the Kalamazoo-based brewery gave us Two-Hearted Ale and such sensational seasonals such as Oberon.
Best Jukebox
Pipping Royal Oak’s Gusoline Alley by one vote, the Bronx’s jukebox has been praised for years by customers, stocked, as it is, with offbeat favorites and cult classics. You can hear everything from Hall & Oates to Devo, although you’re obviously at the mercy of your fellow patrons so an open mind is essential.
Best New District Member of Detroit City Council
The lively and talkative Castañeda-López has come out of the gate strong since winning her seat in Detroit City Council’s 6th District. In the few months since taking office, she’s been at the forefront of discussions surrounding the new Detroit Red Wings arena downtown and appears deeply invested in her new role. Castañeda-López, the first…
Best Place to See a Mainstream Film
Emagine Royal Oak’s amenities sets it apart from other mainstream movie houses: We’re talking luxury seating that allows you to reserve your spot ahead of time. There’s also D-BOX Motion Seating, which uses high-tech motion systems to synchronize the movement of your seat with the film, bringing you right into the action. Better still, the…
Best Makeup Studio; Best Nail Salon
Don’t expect harsh beauty treatments built around toxic chemicals at Rouge. Instead, pampering comes courtesy of all-natural cosmetics and vegan and organic skin care. After all, it just makes sense that makeovers shouldn’t simply make you look good, but also be good for you. And who can say no to sea salt scrubs, organic ginger…
Best Chicken and Waffles
The category may as well be written for the eatery that serves it. Few restaurants offer this delicacy, and there’s one that does it justice head and shoulders above the rest: New Center Eatery.
Best Indie Record Store in Wayne County
A sacred spot for music fans for more than 50 years, Dearborn Music houses tens of thousands of titles, including rarities, imports, and new and used vinyl, as well as DVDs, trinkets, toys and memorabilia. Jazz, blues and classical are more than well-represented, and the well-organized and well-run store makes crate-digging a joy and spotting…
Best Brewpub or Microbrewery in Wayne County
If Motor City Brewing Works seems a stubborn winner of this category, it’s because it covers all the bases. Its funky tiled interior and concrete bar set it apart visually. The rear spills out onto a relandscaped “green alley.” The upper deck patio provides for outdoor drinking. The pizzas are locally sourced, the beers are…
Best New Independent Store in the Suburbs
Whether you’re a baby looking for a Michigan-themed onesie or a burly biker looking to rep Detroit grit, Detroit Motor Apparel has got you covered. Fun, simple Detroit-branded T-shirts are its specialty, but the store has plenty of decals, tote bags and assorted Michigan-shaped items — from wine racks to cookie cutters.
Best Tire Shop
Brothers Paul and Michael Warholak serve their customers the old-fashioned way: one at a time, with a little good-natured scolding and teasing. Their customers accept the brothers’ ribbing with such aplomb because the family-owned business has a reputation for steering customers right. That mixture of decency and drollery is what’s kept the tire salon open…
Best Skaters Paradise
The east side mecca is the place to go for basically anything you can do on a board — whether it be a snowboard, skateboard or surfboard. Drop in for new boards, gear, accessories, coats, swimwear and more — the store even has its own line of clothing, the hilariously named “Detroit Against the World.”
Best Korean Cuisine
Named for the classic Korean dish that’s spelled a million different ways, Bi Bim Bab serves noodle dishes, rice bowls, hand-made dumplings, Korean and Japanese fusion dishes, sushi and Korean barbecue dishes, all with a full bar. They also serve it in the classic style, with about a dozen small plates of pickles and relishes…
Best Thai Cuisine in Macomb County
Open since 1993, this simple, casual restaurant offers an array of dishes, including fried rice, noodles, curries and more. Dine-in or carry out.
Best Eyewear Boutique
SEE’s concept is inspired in its design and flawless in its execution: Use the best eyewear designers operating in Europe, seek out obscure gems and talented up-and-comers, relentlessly review prototypes and reject anything that’s too pedestrian, and stock shops with the most exciting frames, made exclusively for SEE. The result? Stores full of truly one-of-a-kind…
Best New Independent Store in Detroit
Tapping into the sort of old-timey retromania sweeping pop culture as of late (the company takes its name from an old shoe polish brand), Shinola opened its doors last year as a purveyor of watches, bicycles and leather goods manufactured (well, at least assembled) right here in Detroit. Sure, its wares come with a higher…
Best Place to Get a Pile of Lox
All the bagel sandwiches at the Institute are inspired combinations, but the $11 “Lew Silver” contains more lox than it seems possible, or at least economically feasible, to pile in one place. A 4-ounce mountain of thick slices, brought in from Acme Smoked Fish in Brooklyn, thin-sliced tomato, cream cheese, red onion, capers — whoever…
Best Store for Musical Instruments; Best Store for DJ Equipment
Guitar Center is the behemoth of instrument retailers — if it makes a noise, amplifies it, distorts it, records it or in any way aids any of those functions, they have it. Big-name brands, used gear, frequent sales and online shopping — including access to their vintage collections located in Nashville, Hollywood and New York…
Best Indie Coffeehouse in Oakland County
CCS graduate Sandi Heaselgrave moved to New York for 13 years. After two years back in Detroit, Sandi and her husband opened Red Hook in the front of Pinwheel Bakery’s space, serving Stumptown Coffee. For our readers, this mom-and-pop java stop is the perfect indie coffeehouse for relaxing or just getting all hyped up.
Best Pawn Shop to Buy; Best Pawn Shop to Sell
The family owners of American Jewelry and Loan on Detroit’s west side and ringmasters of the popular show Hardcore Pawn include Les, the hip-talking, street-smart patriarch who’s seen it all (and paid for most of it), and Seth, the enterprising young broker with a heart of gold. American is one of the largest pawn shops…
Best Food in a Strip Club
The limousine and champagne services elevate the place from mere titty bar to gentleman’s club — that, and the Penthouse-perfect performers. Ample food options also add to this club’s caliber. The menu includes French dip sandwiches, all-you-can-eat pasta of the day, Mediterranean lamb chops, and New York Steak — in addition to appetizers, entrées, salads,…
Best Comedy Club
Look, there’s really nothing you want from a comedy club other than funny people and acceptable beer. Go!Comedy offers all of this, plus sliders on Sundays. Your opinion of improv comedy will dictate how you feel about everything on the Go!Comedy calendar, but there are plenty of quality evening shows by quality local comics to…
Best Local Newspaper Columnist Who’s Not Mitch Albom
We like to poke fun at Rochelle Riley, especially with her pleasure over the possible election of Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan well before the election season ever began to unfold. Riley does manage to come across as someone with a level head and only the best intentions. She undeniably connects with our readers, even managing…
Best Local Radio Music Show
If you are going to listen to music on the radio on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Ann Delisi’s show is, well, the essential place on the dial to be. Charming and extremely engaging, she serves up what’s described as a thoroughly hand-picked combination of great contemporary music and the classics…
Best Small Art Gallery in Wayne
A former printing plant and longtime space for raves, the complex that houses the Tangent Gallery is a multi-purpose facility with lofts, a theater and workshops. The gallery itself is sort of a big white box that lends itself well to being an event space, with a tasteful bar in the rear. Tangent tends to…
Best Rum
Not just for pirates, Captain Morgan is an inexpensive tipple named after 17th century Welsh privateer of the Caribbean Sir Henry Morgan. Made with molasses, water, mash and yeast, and distilled from sugar cane, the Captain will certainly do the job.
Best Bar for a Classic Cocktail in Washtenaw Cocktail
Ann Arbor’s Ravens Club has the sort of cocktail menu that you can throw a dart at and inadvertently select something impressively tasty. The “Let it Bleed,” for example, contains blood orange juice and egg whites, while the “Thyme Collins” offers a twist to a classic by adding TRC thyme syrup. Sometimes, it pays to…
Best Adult Entertainment Agency
Do you want hot male or female bartenders for your party? Perhaps you want a stripper or two for a bachelor party, or maybe you want somebody on hand who will get your party started. Whatever you need, Premier Entertainment has the body to put a smile on your face. You guys decided that, of…
Best Billionaire to Hit with a Cream Pie
We’ve spilled plenty of ink over Manuel “Matty” Moroun throughout the years. The grinch-like, goblin-faced billionaire owns and maintains, if you can call it that, the Ambassador Bridge between Detroit and Windsor. The 86-year-old has viciously campaigned against a potential second span, funded almost entirely by the Canadian government. Republican Gov. Rick Snyder has made…
Best Red Wing
Considered to be one of the best one-on-one players in the NHL, Pavel Datsyuk is the only Red Wing remaining from the team that brought home the Stanley Cup in 2002. But he still has jaw-dropping moves, and he can still use his stick the way a magician wields a wand, making the amazing happen.
Best Michigan-Made Product
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, barbecue,…
Best Far-Out Desserts
Young pastry chef Lindsey Barterian interned in Provence, but she gets her ideas from studying appetizers, she says. That might not be obvious when you’re forking into a “Little Napoleon” with lime curd or a “Dolce Caprese” with meringue, buttermilk panna cotta, sweet basil pesto and balsamic-infused strawberries. She’ll use liquid nitrogen to freeze out-of-the-way…
Best Place to Go If Your Mouth Is Easily Bored
Dishes that you won’t find in every single goddamn restaurant on the block: What a concept! Sardine’s chef either uses uncommon ingredients or combines familiar ones in unaccustomed ways. So roasted bone marrow and maitake mushrooms find their way onto the menu, alongside winter squash pierogi served with couscous, blueberries and roasted red pepper purée.…
Best Gift Shop in Wayne County
City Bird is the brainchild of Detroit’s brother-and-sister power duo, Emily and Andy Linn, who spent years marketing Detroit-themed odds and ends under the City Bird name before opening this physical store. Here you’ll find colorful soaps, plates and glasses emblazoned with a classic Detroit map (sans freeways, natch). It’s a great place to browse…
Best Japanese Cuisine
Café Sushi’s upscale creations are perennial crowd-pleasers, even for Asian-shy Americans who are new to the cuisine.
Best Indie Men’s Clothing in Wayne County
For the past quarter-century, this Midtown staple (and perennial Best of Detroit winner) has supplied threads to anyone who wants to look like a rock star — and let’s face it, who doesn’t? It’s not all leather and lace — although there’s plenty of that, the store’s racks also come stocked with fashions suitable for…
Best Sushi
The old adage “The first time is the best” may still hold true in the case of Noble Fish. This Japanese grocery, seafood market and sushi bar has been around since the late 1980s, around the rise of sushi’s popularity. Sushi is all about fresh, and Noble is synonymous with fresh, even supplying other sushi…
Best Bakery in Wayne County
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 and Parmesan. Avalon has branched out from…
Best Caribbean Cuisine
Serving jerk chicken, jerk pork and various other Caribbean delicacies under the guidance of chef Robert Campbell. There’s simply no other place you’ll be able to sample such dishes as escovitch tilapia, jerk tofu and plantain boat with chicken.
Best Tapas
Phenomenally popular because chef, co-owner and Seville native Pilar Baron-Hidalgo is making authentic Spanish tapas: simple, excellent ingredients that have not been fussed with or fussed over. Giant sardines, calamari with aioli, spinach with garbanzos, grilled shrimp with dried peppers, thick cocido soup with shredded pork, chicken and pork belly — there’s not a misstep…
Best Tattoo Shop in Macomb County
If Signature Tattoo was going to win Best Tattoo Shop in Oakland County, it only makes sense that readers would vote for its owners’ original venture, Big Top Tattoo, as well. In business for nine years, Utica’s Big Top was a destination for Detroiters before Signature opened closer to home. Fans know and love Big…
Best Grow Shop
So you wanna be a farmer, eh? Wanna take a stab at that bubonic chronic hydroponic? Awesome. It takes a lot of work, equipment and expertise, you know? But if you’re willing to put in the time and have a few grand to put into a setup, the Cultivation Station has you covered on the…
Best Burger in Washtenaw County
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 to the Amtrak line that passing trains…
Best Restoration to a Business in Detroit
Rachel Lutz was determined to open an old-fashioned ladies’ boutique in the mid-city area, and she got better than she bargained for. Adding to the Peacock Room’s elegant inventory are the original architectural details uncovered by Lutz after leasing the space. What started as a modest renovation to remove drop ceilings and drywall turned into…
Best Burger in Macomb County
Open since 1935, Shamrock is a bar and grill with a bit of history to it. They’ve won honors from a glossy monthly magazine for several years in a row for their burger, which they call “a 7-ounce, chargrilled award-winning handful of heaven-on-earth.” This year, our voters decided to make it official with us too.
Dan Savage advises on when it’s OK to deceive
Q: I’m an old guy, fast approaching geezerdom. After 45 years of marriage to the same woman, the sex has fallen off to zero. We otherwise have a great and comfortable relationship. If I want any at all these days, the only options are masturbation or professional service providers. I was very nervous the first time…
Best Jazz Club
Ol’ John Clifford Bell would be happy to see his creation strive today, pumping a healthy dose of traditional and new age jazz back into the city of Detroit. The beautiful sounds that come out of Cliff Bell’s can only be matched by the decor that engulfs it. The crimson tone and lacquered wood bar…
Best Burlesque Troupe
The variety of things the lovely ladies of Detroit Dizzy Dames can do with a stage, 1930s big band music and glittery nipple tassels is incredible. When the lights dim and the attention is brought to the stage, the slew of sensual, vivacious women, led by the astonishing Lushes LaMoan, present carnal fun in ways…
Best Local Blogger
MT’s music editor offers daily offerings on our wildly popular City Slang blog, covering Detroit’s local music scene. Always on the lookout for any up-and-coming act, Callwood also profiles a local band each week in the paper, giving newer bands a platform to get their name out. There’s no “slush pile” on Callwood’s watch; he…
Best Building to Refurbish
… But Detroit has been trying to demolish its way out of blight for almost 100 years. (How’s that going?) Plus, MCS isn’t standing in the way of anything, and it would be terrifically expensive to raze. As Corktown resident Putnam Weekley told us earlier this year: “I meet so-called enlightened people who say, ‘We…
Best Reason to Hope This Year is the Detroit Lions Season
The law of averages suggests a rare random event will eventually play out, so, fuck it: this year has to be the Detroit Lions’ year. Why? We don’t know! Because! We figure between Matthew Stafford getting married and the Lions getting a new coach in Jim Caldwell, it’s a hopeful time. But even if it…
Best Michigan-Made Liquor; Best Vodka
For their ads, the people at Valentine Vodka have chosen to put a simple picture of a glass of vodka filled with mechanical nuts, accompanied by the phrase, “Surprisingly smooth vodka from a city known for grit.” The winners of best local liquor, once again, couldn’t be more right. Handcrafted with locally grown ingredients, Valentine…
Best Musically Knowledgeable Bartender
Stevie Michael is the frontman of the Grande Nationals and a former member of Running With Panthers, but many local punks and scenesters will know him as that cool bartender who works at the WAB and the Loving Touch in Ferndale. The man is a punk rock Sam from Cheers, offering a ton of information…
Best Bar to Interview a Band While Surrounded by Scantily Clad Women
Maybe in the ’80s, having a bikini-clad boob poking you in the ear while you’re interviewing a band was normal. Nowadays, it’s a little disconcerting. Just fucking weird, really. Especially at this pseudo-yacht club in Livonia, of all places. There’s a vibe of tension in the air too, if you walk in and aren’t a…
Best Local Film Festival
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. MT’s film critic Corey Hall once summed up the event as such: “Ann Arbor maintains essentially the same…
Best Local Poet
Poet and writer Rosemarie Wilson, aka One Single Rose, has garnered numerous awards and accolades for her writing. The Davenport University grad and four-time National Poetry Award nominee has performed at events such as Poetry in the City and Model D’s “The Next Big Thing.”
Best Comic Book Shop in Wayne County
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 Green Brain. The store also holds…
Best All-Around Tchotchke Shop
Manager Kelly Hadin will instantly become your personal shopper if you need that perfect gift. There should be something for everyone at Shine — the store hosts an eclectic collection of knickknacks and bric-a-brac, from books to art to wallets to posters to candles to lotions to clocks.
Best Store to Arouse Your Evening
Intimate Ideas is your one-stop shop for pleasure. They sell all the old standbys — sex toys, bachelorette party supplies, DVDs, lingerie and, of course, “literature.” Their website even has tips from Dr. Love & the Friends with Benefits Program. Intimate Ideas hosts a plethora of recipes to get your evening rock-hard — check ’em…
Best Place for Audio Gear
World-class audiophiles, electronics junkies and the everyman who just needs the basics all converge upon this big box store thanks to its convenience, affordability and well-stocked shelves. One-stop shopping for everything that plugs in, powers up and drains the grid, the ubiquitous blue stores and yellow price tags have become synonymous with all things audio.
Best Greek Cuisine
Although Detroit’s Greektown gets less and less Greek by the year, Pegasus remains. The restaurant serves late, has a wide ethnic selection and helpful staff. But despite the upscale trappings, they’re not above bringing flaming cheese to your table and shouting “Opa!” at your pleasure.
Best Auto Repair Shop
One of the worst things about living in the Motor City, especially if you aren’t mechanically inclined, is when you inevitably have to take your car in for repairs — an excursion that often involves a laundry list of newly discovered repairs you didn’t even know you needed, pushy mechanics, and feeling like you’re being…
Best Cheap Breakfast in Oakland County
Open until 3 p.m. every day except Mondays, Mae’s menu is naturally focused toward breakfast and sandwiches. The butter burger is a good bet for lunch: two well-seasoned, hand-formed patties come various ways on a generously buttered bun. Quality food, mood and reasonable prices keep this place humming.
Best Corned Beef
The Bread Basket Deli mini-chain is a regular winner of some deli-related category almost every year. The chain is owned by Al Winkler, of Al’s Famous Deli in Royal Oak. But whichever place you go to, you’ll find corned beef fit for a king, cooked fresh every three hours. At the Palmer Park shop, they…
Best Soul Food in Detroit
It’s quite a challenge to take soul food and give it the vegan treatment. It’s even more difficult to make it vegan and win honors for best soul food in general! But the DVS crew has done it, serving versions of soul food classics that are 100 percent plant-based as well as organic. The dining…
Best Indian Cuisine in Macomb County
Founded in 2009, what sets Megha’s Athidhi apart are the chefs, who all came from India. And it’s not just chefs who are imported, many of the ingredients are flown in from India as well. Try their lunch buffet if you’d like a small taste first.
Best Reincarnation of the Gyro
It starts somewhat innocuously: “Lamb Sandwich,” reads the menu. “Garlic yogurt, sumac, cucumber, mint salad, grilled zataar bread, lime-chili fries.” It sounds kind of complicated, a little foreign, and very exciting. The plate arrives, and the first bite is overwhelming. The lamb is sliced thinly, and seasoned perfectly. Those accompanying items contained in the soft,…
Best Thai Cuisine in Washtenaw County
Conventiently close to some of Ann Arbor’s attractions, but still inexpensive enough for broad appeal, No Thai serves a quick and no-frills version of Thai food that makes excellent takeout.
Best Tobacco/Smoke Shop
After 20 years in the business and 45 stores opened, Wild Bill’s Tobacco is the best when it comes to fulfilling your guilty pleasures without emptying your life savings. Keeping up with the latest cigars, having knowledgeable managers and staff members to help those at a novice level to roll their own cigarettes, and sporting…
Best Indie Women’s Clothing in Wayne County
Located on the ground floor of the Park Shelton, this boutique features a mix of new, vintage and quality consignment clothing for trendsetting Detroiters. Almost as attractive as the stock — flouncy skirts, patterned scarves, colorful socks, saucy stockings — is the shop itself, artfully arranged with eye-pleasing displays that make the merchandise seem like…
Best Middle Eastern Cuisine in Macomb County
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 Weekend for Festival-Hopping
Choices, choices! The good news is that there are three or four days of festivities that can be spread over these awesome, and very different, events. We recommend looking carefully at the Arts, Beats & Eats lineup to figure out which bands you want to see and planning your route in and out. The crowds…
Best Folk Venue
It’s crazy that the Ark started as just a coffee shop that gave students in Ann Arbor an opportunity to come together and chill out. But the quaint spot has now become a place that not only draws students from all over the state, but also great musical artists who come to make a mark…
Best New Purpose for Michigan Central Station
… it turns out MT readers would love to see a billionaire pour money into the facility and convert it into a hotel or casino. Who knows, perhaps with Dan Gilbert now controlling Greektown Casino and Marian Ilitch’s Motor City Casino receiving a boost thanks to a proposed new Detroit Red Wings arena nearby, the…
Best Person to Replace Gov. Rick Snyder
It seems MT readers disagree with the way Snyder has conducted business over the last few years so much that in 2014 they’d prefer to see anyone replace our benevolent governor. That means any human being who fits the legal criteria for governor. There’s gotta be some weird Michiganders out there who do. We’re happy…
Best Media Coronation
Perhaps no politician has won local newsies’ hearts like Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan. In truth, the media coronation of Duggan seemed to begin before he even threw his hat in the ring. It makes sense, in a way: The thought of a white guy winning the Detroit mayoralty would be great for banner headlines and…
Best Billiards
The Loving Touch has grown into one of the most happening rooms on the music scene thanks to some tremendous shows (many of them free), very cool bar staff and an overall unique and friendly vibe. The bands are right there in your face, and that adds to the ambience. When it’s all done, your…
Best Sports Bar
Right next door to the very alternative and cool Berkley Front is 24 Seconds, but it might as well be on the other side of the planet, so different are these two bars. While customers at the Front might be sitting back to watch a quality local indie rock band while sipping an exotic beer,…
Best Bar for Shots
Andrea Bonaventura, Desmond Oliver, and the rest of the staff at the New Dodge in Hamtramck will be delighted to pour you a long, hard shot of something strong and then shoot the shit with you while you down it. Then repeat. The New Dodge is a killer bar with a relaxed vibe, tall drinks…
Best Infrastructure Project to Not Happen
We chose this in our staff picks last year, and feel it’s worth the ink again. The nearly $2 billion project would see I-94 widened one lane in each direction between Conner Avenue and I-96, and would involve demolitions, the removal of several pedestrian and vehicular bridges, and may only cause more congestion when completed.…
Best Place to Bike
We’re excited about proposed plans to expand the Dequindre Cut Greenway, a 1.35-mile long strip that connects the riverfront to Eastern Market. Opened in 2009 in what used to be a sub-surface Grand Trunk Railroad line, the Dequindre has separate lanes for pedestrians and bicyclists and has plenty of room for everyone along the 20-foot-wide…
Best Farmers Market in Wayne County
The 173-year-old market has been at its present location since 1891 — smack in the middle of a bustling 43-acre area that’s home to wholesalers, retailers and the prominent sales sheds. Re-energized by the Eastern Market Corporation, established in 2007, the market has seen significant renovations and improvements. As the corporation’s head Dan Carmody points…
Best Wings
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 proudly flies flags of local pro and college sports teams. Those unable…
Best Tattoo Shop in Washtenaw County
Visiting Mike Emmett’s Ypsilanti tattoo parlor in Depot Town is like stepping back into a few different eras of classic Americana. Depot Town’s architecture harks back to the 1800s and all the little towns that sprang up in Michigan along the Detroit-Chicago rail corridor; the interior, which Emmett decorated in reds, blacks and whites, is…
Best Introduction to Raw Food
Depending on your eating habits, the concept of raw food — in which nothing is heated past 116 degrees — may strike you as anywhere from a little strange to downright alien. But rest assured that no matter where you fall on that spectrum, you’ll be welcomed with open arms at Try It Raw, a…
Best Indie Grocery Store in Wayne County
We dare you to get by the samples just inside the door of this southwest Detroit mercado. We’ve never seen anyone among Honey Bee’s wildly diverse customer base do it. The salsa, pico de gallo and peppy guacamole are just too tempting. Gringos, African-Americans and Spanish-speaking neighborhood residents … hipsters and working-classers … city folk…
Best Gourmet Pizza
Supino has become locally famous for its pies. They serve red and white pizzas, and almost all are made with traditional ingredients. The red sauce is supremely simple, nothing much besides some fresh-tasting though canned crushed tomatoes. This is some inspired stuff, almost always handmade by the owner.
Best Restaurant for Locavores; Best Brunch in Oakland County
We were a little confused about Clarkston Union being the best restaurant for locavores. Certainly it has a massive local following, if we may interpret the votes as generously as possible. Housed in a former church, a beerhall-like atmosphere prevails, and the brunch is no joke. Diners can expect stuffed French toast, huevos rancheros, a…
Best Vintage Clothing in Wayne County
This small shop offers racks jam-packed with vintage gems from the ’50s through the ’70s — poodle skirts, tie-dyed jumpsuits, frilly formals, Western shirts — you name it, they’ve probably got it. V-Male is also a favorite stop of Detroit’s burlesque beauties, thanks to its collection of new and vintage lingerie, from fishnet stockings and…
Best Italian Cuisine in Wayne County
Our readers regularly honor Roma Cafe with Best of Detroit honors, and that’s because it’s a timeless little Italian restaurant, the oldest in the city, that does everything properly, from formal service to a standard menu that would do any ristorante proud, including broiled meats, pastas, seafoods, Italian specialties and even vegetarian choices.
Best Romantic Restaurant in Oakland County
What’s more sensual than two lovers easing morsels into each other’s mouths? At the Melting Pot, you can fulfill all of your fondue fantasies, dipping an assortment of breads, vegetables and fruits in your choice of cheese or chocolate fondue. Not only is it suggestive, the comfortable and intimate dining environment makes it all the…
Best Italian Cuisine in Macomb County
Out in the brand-spanking-new exurbs, Da Francesco’s has the feel of a place that’s been there much longer than its 15-or-so years. Decked out in wood paneling, leather booths, even sporting a sidewalk patio, it’s atmospheric, and the menu filled with dozens of Italian classics that show an ambitious kitchen at work. It’s no wonder…
Best Indie Hardware Store in Detroit
For the city-savvy fixer-upper, there’s no place quite like Detroit Hardware. Located a stone’s throw from the New Center area, it’s also within easy reach of the North End’s urban homesteaders. Along with a knowledgeable and helpful sales staff and an intuitive and organized layout, there’s also a very good chance you’ll find an open…
Best Florist
Nothing brightens the mood set by a room, table or desk better than fresh flowers or a healthy plant. Keep that in mind when you head in to one of Blumz’s three locations — and we dare you to not smile and take something for your home, to the office or to give away. Whimsical…
Best Gym; Best Personal Trainer
Landall Proctor is the owner of Detroit Endurance Lab in Detroit. The lab offers various workout classes of various intensity, including an indoor cycling class on a real bike. No matter what fitness level, Proctor, the Detroit Endurance Lab and a little mental motivation are sure to help anyone reach those fitness goals. Best Plastic…
Best Skate Shop
Do you have a hankering for a skateboard and a need to get something screen-printed? How will you ever have time to do both? Head over to Chiipss. When the Chiipss folks moved their skate shop from Plymouth to Hamtramck in 2012, they moved their sister business, the Barber Shoppe Screen Printing, into the back…
Best Metal Club
Harpo’s won this category last year, but it had a quiet 2013, allowing the Token to swoop in and walk away with the honors. Molly Hatchet, UDO, Uli Jon Roth and Raven have performed at the venue in the last year. Throw that mane, Token, our readers voted you the best place to bang that…
Best Event for People-Watching
We’re not making fun; genuinely we’re not. The Hoedown is actually one of the best-attended festivals in metro Detroit. People love this thing, and they flock from all over Michigan and beyond into the city of Detroit to lie in the sun wearing a Stetson, boots and blue jeans, and listen to some sweet, sweet…
Best Forgotten L. Brooks Patterson Quote
Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson pissed off everyone from Detroit to Native American tribes in northern Michigan when a New Yorker magazine profile on the 75-year-old surfaced with some rather unpleasant remarks about Detroit. We gave Patterson some heat over the offensive quotes, but, occasionally, the county exec dishes a quip of note. For…
Best Recent Change in Detroit
Perhaps Detroiters have some mayoral fatigue. Awhile back, we had a businessman in Dennis Archer who got nothing done. Then Detroiters ushered in so-called Hip Hop Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, who got everything done — just not the right things. We had the Three-Month Mayor Ken Cockrel Jr., who didn’t have the chance to get anything…
Best Business to Patronize in Ferndale
The weekend retail space immediately took off after opening a couple of years back. Providing an opportunity for vendors to sling products in a bubbling atmosphere, Rust Belt attracts a top-notch cast of talent that offers up everything from high-quality clothes, art and vintage collections. Expect only the best here.
Best T-Shirt Designs by a Band
We discovered these sweethearts at the Berzerker Fest, and Gutrot’s T-shirts have to be seen to be believed. This death metal band goes out of its way to offend, and that’s fine with us. Hence song titles like “Tea-bagging the Dead,” and these incredible shirts. In all honestly, we have no idea where you could…
Best Flavored Vodka
There was a time when vodka was clear, strong and almost medicinal. Novices couldn’t drink vodka unless it was drowned in orange juice or coke. Best served icy cold, straight from the freezer, it was an adult’s drink. Now, thanks to the folks at Hard Luck Candy, vodka comes in Red Fish, Lemon Drop and…
Best Gin
Originally produced by William Grant & Sons in Girvan, Scotland, Hendrick’s is “an unusual and selected gin with limited production that finds in cucumber and rose the perfect combination.”
Best Local Nonprofit Organization
Since 2010, the stated mission of 4 Paws 1 Heart is to lower the homeless cat and dog population through a number of means: paying for medical treatment and placing animals in permanent home. With the number of reports over the last year on Detroit having an out-of-control feral dog population, which was later determined…
Best Museum for Kids
The fate of the former Detroit Science Center hung in the balance for some time. The longtime institution sat dormant after closing in 2011, due to monetary issues. Since reopening in December 2012, the museum was a hit at last year’s Noel Night. With a massive Science Hall for traveling exhibits, an IMAX theater, and…
Best Restaurant to Spend Less Than $15 in Macomb County
Macomb County isn’t known for its fancy exteriors, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have finer things behind those simple facades. Take Louie’s: It’s a diner, serving a short but dependable menu of breakfast dishes, sandwiches and plenty of ham. It’s just done with a bit of style and with fresh ingredients. It’s the most…
Best Happy Hour Menu
Roast earns its honors as a happy-hour destination. After-work throngs descend on the restaurant’s bar area, drawn by the space’s laid-back elegance, its great beer and wine selection, including craft cocktails, a convivial networking scene, and that peerless happy hour menu. Roast’s kitchen does its proteins justice, aging everything at least 21 days, and each…
Best Farmers Market in Oakland County
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 make it attractive and convenient for Oakland County day-trippers.
Best Indie Women’s Clothing in Oakland County; Best Adult Novelty Shop
For more than a quarter-century, Noir Leather has been metro Detroit’s prime purveyor of kink, offering corsets, lingerie, stilettos and almost anything necessary to satisfy any taste. But what really sets Noir apart from other adult shops is its consistent community presence. It embraced being on the fringe before being on the fringe was cool,…
Best Non-Breakfast Use for a Waffle
Monk Beer Abbey, the latest establishment to open in the Bastone complex at Fourth and Main, serves up a host of tasty victuals to soak up your brew. Among these is a quartet of open-faced knife-and-fork “sandwiches.” But instead of piling meats and veggies onto mere bread, Monk uses a crispy savory waffle, as befits…
Best Art Gallery That Also Sells Prints to the Masses Online
When Royal Oak’s 323East Gallery closed its doors in 2012, fans were left wondering where to get their lowbrow art fix next. Enter the Inner State Gallery — the latest brainchild of 323East partners Jesse Cory and Dan Armand — which brings the same brand of hip, edgy art in a new, much larger location…
Best Comic Book Shop in Washtenaw County
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, but it also stocks a vast supply of…
Best Place to Learn to Love Tripe
Back in college, we worked at a Mexican restaurant that served menudo, a tripe stew. It didn’t get ordered often, but when it did, cries of dismay would arise from the staff due to the soup’s feral, funky aromas filling the kitchen. So, despite being an adventurous eater and despite the endorsements from chefs like…
Best Barbecue in Oakland County; Best Gluten-Free Dining
This year, Union Woodshop took top honors for its barbecue, which is hardly a surprise, as, under the leadership of Aaron Cozadd, the Southern Pride smoker on the restaurant’s back lot cranks out small-batch smoked proteins. That said, lots of restaurants understand that gluten-sensitive diners are worth the extra effort it takes to cater to…
Best Caterer
Crank’s Catering has been in the catering game for more than 20 years, serving up at weddings, graduations, corporate meetings and just about any other event where hungry people gather. Whether in one of their banquet halls or at your place, owner Jeff Crank boasts that his chefs can handle any culinary request — from…
Best Neighborhood Pizza in Wayne County; Best Neighborhood Pizza in Oakland County; Best Neighborhood Pizza in Macomb County; Best Neighborhood Pizza in Washtenaw County; Best Restaurant to Spend Less Than $50 in Macomb County
Though Buddy’s has expanded to several locations, the neighborhood-joint label fits for those who’ve had pizza and beers at its original Detroit location. In fact, it collared all the neighborhood pizza honors in the region, and even emerged as a fine-dining option for Macomb County. Related Stories
Best Deli in Oakland County
Everyone has their own yardstick for measuring the quality of a deli. For us, it’s a pastrami sandwich. Like corned beef, pastrami starts as a brisket pickled in brine, but then the two meats part company. Pastrami is coated with cracked peppercorns, garlic and other spices, then smoked. Steve’s makes a great pastrami sandwich on…
Best Reinvention
Tiny Ferndale restaurant Torino has come a long way from its first couple of years as a café serving espresso and a limited panini menu. Starting last July, the restaurant began offering a chef’s tasting menu that rotates weekly; it has since been cited by several of the area’s top food critics as the very…
Best Comic Book Shop in Macomb County
This veteran east side shop has been supplying the funny book faithful for nearly 30 years. Comix Corner is truly all about the comics — no toys or action figures here — with an established following of devoted customers who praise the shop’s selection, great service and primo deals on rare, vintage and new books.…
Best Attorney
Once again, this former staff attorney for Geoffrey Fieger keeps his old boss from claiming the Best of Detroit title. An aggressive and accomplished attorney, Dezsi spent five years in Fieger’s firm handling a number of high-profile cases, and was part of the “dream team” that obtained Fieger’s acquittal for federal campaign violations. Heading up…
Best Fine Dining in Disguise
Upon entering Hamtramck’s Rock City Eatery, you’ll notice mismatched chairs, flatware in Mason jars, and other DIY touches that might make you think the restaurant’s food is as scrappy and homey as its decor. But one look at the menu, with duck eggs here and pork belly there and all kinds of eclectic, internationally influenced…
Best Hip-Hop Venue
Known all over the country as the spot to hold hip-hop shows in Detroit, St. Andrew’s Hall has never slacked on love or reverence for the art of hip-hop. Local greats like Royce Da 5’9”, Black Milk and Danny Brown have graced the stages and used the venue as a jump-off spot toward bigger things.…
Best Strip Club in Wayne County
Praised for its service and great food, the Penthouse Club also has gorgeous women. Don’t get us wrong; we love when a waitress can remember our names or bring us back the right amount of singles, or a chef can cook up a mean steak, but the main reason the Penthouse Club continuously wins in…
Best Public Art
The always-goofy Jerry Vile ruffled a few feathers when he placed a giant can of Crisco in front of the famous Joe Louis fist as a statement against his feelings on Detroit’s situation in bankruptcy court: It’s getting it up the wazoo. Except, the local Fox affiliate didn’t get the joke, writing of Vile at…
Best Example of the Local News Media Losing Its Collective Shit
Watching Detroit City Council President Pro Tem George Cushingberry Jr.’s traffic stop reverberate through the mainstream media and social networking for a week was an illuminating experience. Nothing stirs the pot of Detroit politics like a public official giving cops the business. Tut-tutting commentators wanted to call Cushingberry on the carpet when he was detained…
Best Statewide School District to Not Expand
The state House surprised us last month when it took up a bill to expand the number of schools the state’s Education Achievement Authority can oversee from 15 to 50. From the get-go, there’s been plenty of criticisms levied against the reform school district, which now operates low-performing schools in Detroit Public Schools. The concerns…
Best Tequila
Patrón is one of Mexico’s greatest exports and continues to be Detroit’s (and, according to their site, the world’s) favorite tequila drink. With four different flavors, the ultra-premium tequila offers Detroiters multiple ways to start a party or end a night with definite disrobement.
Best Bar to Hook Up With Someone; Best Musical Open-Mic or Jam Session
What do you need from a bar when you want to hook up with someone? Good music that isn’t too loud to allow for conversation, a friendly bartender who is perceptive enough to know when to give you some space, a plethora of singles, and some semi-private tables in dark corners? The Black Lotus has…
Best Whiskey
No surprises here, Uncle Jack has been keeping American drinkers warm for decades, and the company still has the coolest looking bottles. Drink it neat, or make your Coke taste spicy. A classic.
Best Local Radio Personality, Best Local Radio News/Talk Show
Here’s the thing we find most impressive about Craig Fahle and the show that bears his name: The live weekday broadcast, which airs from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. (and is repeated in the evenings from 7-9 p.m.) is an amazing amalgam of arts, culture, music and the most current of hard news — and…
Best Local Social Activist
At 98, Boggs has earned the title “living legend.” The daughter of Chinese immigrants, she earned a Ph.D. from Bryn Mawr and then went on to make her mark as a lefty intellectual, a feminist, and a social activist. She’s co-written three books — including collaborations with husband Jimmy Boggs, who died two decades ago…
Best Middle Eastern Cuisine in Oakland County
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 classic Lebanese fare, loyal Oakland County diners have been declaring it the best.
Best Indie Bookstore in the Suburbs
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 — the Book Beat also provides a feeling of community. Friendly and knowledgeable staffers remember customers and make suggestions tailored to their tastes,…
Best Eastern European Cuisine
Lots of places offer Polish food, but only in Hamtramck will you get a taste of “the old neighborhood” with your pierogies. To step down into Polish Village’s dining area is to step back into another era, when that postage stamp-sized city-within-a-city was jammed with Polish autoworkers and every restaurant had a portrait of FDR…
Best Hair Salon in Wayne County
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 a priority and featuring natural, nontoxic products…
Best Bakery in Oakland County
When it comes to baking, having another business as a partner can be a smart move. So says Ann St. Peter of Pinwheel Bakery. More than two years ago, tired of the hassle of baking and running a retail, she gave the front of the house over to longtime friend and former co-worker Sandi Heaselgrave,…
Best Vintage Clothing in Oakland County
There’s been a snapback hat revival in hip-hop fashion in recent years, which is the bread and butter of Detroit Deadstock & Vintage Sportswear. But the store, which opened its physical location two years ago, has got plenty of other items as well. It’s not a thrift store resale shop, and it’s isn’t memorabilia —…
Best Indie Grocery Store in Oakland County
You may be making a mad dash in for a carry-out lunch or filling a shopping cart to stock up your pantry or throwing the perfect shindig with help from the caterers here. Either way, Holiday Market satisfies. The vegan, gluten-free and Michigan-made products are plentiful, and the specialty “shoppes” within the market have outstanding…
Best Beer Selection in a Store in Macomb County; Best Wine Selection in a Store in Macomb County
Customers first might be lured in by the competitive prices and the ever-changing specials. In the store, they’ll learn about the wine and beer tastings and maybe return for some “spirited” knowledge. We doubt they’ll leave without some purchases from the extensive selection of wine and beer — liquor too — of everything from Michigan-made…
Best Farmers Market in Washtenaw
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 Ann Arbor-based baker Miette. The market serves at the moment as a base for more than 100 producers of fine foods.
Best African Cuisine
For those unfamiliar with Ethiopian dining, a big part of the draw is that you get to eat with your hands (steaming washcloths are tendered before and after). At the Blue Nile, you get only two all-you-can-eat choices: four meats and seven vegetables or all-veg. Diners use small pieces of bread to scoop up the…
Best Indie Record Store in Macomb County
Weirdsville (or, as we like to call it, a euphemism for Macomb County) threw open its doors back in 2011. Owner Davey Taylor, who’s been a collector of the offbeat since childhood, at first was supplying his wife and best friend with merchandise for their business, which offered specialty items for use by production companies,…
Best Indie Grocery Store in Macomb County
Nino Salvaggio opened as a fruit and vegetable market in 1979, and the stacks of delectable produce — crisp Michigan apples, juicy vine-ripened tomatoes, colorful bell peppers — still stand-out. But the ensuing 30-odd years have seen the store expand into a full-service gourmet grocery complete with a wide array of organic offerings, more than…
Best Hair Salon in Washtenaw County
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 provide superb service and style to clients, but one that would also aid budding stylists on their career paths. That vision is now a reality,…
Best Bakery in Macomb County
Demand for foods that respect people’s dietary restrictions has never been taken more seriously. Enter Ethel’s Edibles, a popular purveyor of baked goods that won’t irritate people with gluten sensitivity.
Best Coney Island in Oakland County
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 Food Truck
Considering that this field of competition hardly existed outside southwest Detroit five years ago, it’s surprising just how contested top honors have become. And Mack Shack came out on top. Eight bucks will get you eight kinds of macaroni dishes from this popular cart. See them online for their scheduled stops, or to examine their…
Best Happy Hour for Drinks in Washtenaw County
There are Bar Louies all over metro Detroit, but it’s the one in Ann Arbor that you guys have singled out. Happy hour is 4-7 p.m. Monday to Friday, when the draft beers go down to $3.25 and some appetizers are half price. In addition, keep half an eye on barlouieamerica.com, as they’re always posting…
Best Way to Walk in Somebody’s Clown Shoes
Everyone’s a comedian, or at least every water cooler joker thinks he is. Those willing to put their money where their smart mouths are have the good fortune of a boot camp to test their dick-joke resolve. Area legend Bill Bushart serves as “drill instructor” for regular six-week long comedy courses held at Mark Ridley’s…
Best Dog Park
A 24-acre fenced area for pups of all shapes and sizes, Orion Oaks offers up a number of trails, large field areas, and, for the dogs who enjoy a swim, access to Lake Sixteen — where it’s a Dogs Only rule all the time.
Best Nature or Hiking Trail
Stony Creek provides what it calls an “up North” feeling for metro Detroiters, something that readers seem to connect with. With its 4,461 acres of space, Stony Creek offers yearlong offerings for recreational activities, be it snowboarding, boating, swimming in 500-acre Stony Creek Lake, sledding and more.
Best Piston
Some of this year’s Best-Of honors are repeats, and given the sorry state of the Detroit Pistons these days, we understand why Drummond was picked by our readers again, even though being the top pick in this bunch isn’t exactly the same as being singled out as the best of the Bad Boys. But at…
Best Club Night in Oakland; Best Electronic Club
Elektricity has been an exciting addition to metro Detroit, while making a substantial mark on the rising popularity of everything EDM. The 18 and up club has been the landing zone for the top international and domestic electronic music DJs for the last two years. And it also opened its doors for the Red Bull…
Best Indescribable, Genre-Hopping Band
These guys are a trip, and there’s really no nailing them down. You see one YouTube video, and you think that they’re a stupid rap-rock band like the Bloodhound Gang. Next thing, you hear a tune that sounds like Zappa. Then they morph into Iron Maiden, or at least Dream Theater. They recently opened for…
Best Onstage Dog
Go see Alison Lewis play her heartfelt alt-country at PJ’s Lager House (she plays there a lot), and the chances are good that her dog Millie will be pottering around your feet during the other bands, practically asking you to scratch her butt. When Lewis gets up, Millie will either howl along or she’ll get…
Best Non-Story About Clocks
You’d think the way Detroit (sort of) overreacted to the opening of a Whole Foods that we’d calm our nerves a bit about Midtown’s new glitz. Perhaps not: When watchmaker Shinola, one of Detroit’s biggest business success stories in the past year, declared that the company would install a handful of street clocks for Detroit…
Best Exaggerated Remark About the New Detroit Red Wings Arena
Tom Wilson’s glib summary of the new arena as a ‘once-in-a-generation’ deal for the city of Detroit pushed us over the cliff. First, the so-called ‘catalyst development’ required the City Council to extend the boundaries of the Detroit Downtown Development Authority to accommodate Red Wings owner Mike Ilitch’s dream, in the process diverting a heck…
Best Place for Car Audio Gear
When Car Tunes was founded in 1977, iPod integration systems weren’t even a twinkle in Steve Jobs’ eye. But this metro Detroit staple — with five retail locations and one custom shop — has consistently adapted with the times, offering the latest in car audio gear and technology (but if the most your ride is…
Best Deli in Macomb County
When you’re able to keep a deli open for 30 years, continuously owned by the same family, it shows that you know your stuff. These two spots, the original in Saint Clair Shores and the relatively new one in Clinton Township. Both serve rave-worthy lunches and dinners, dine in and carryout.
Hottest Retail Ad Coupon
Savvy bargain-hunters know MT is a hot commodity when the Value World coupons run, with people yanking every last issue off the newsstands. And why wouldn’t they? You’ll be struttin’ and flossin’ like Macklemore after a trip to Value World. (Sorry, we’re not telling you when we’re running the coupons next.)
Best Barbecue in Wayne County
This nationally recognized Corktown gem is packed with faithful barbecue fans willing to wait over fancy beer or wine selections for hours just for a taste of 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 Indian Cuisine in Wayne County
If one measure of good ethnic cuisine is the percentage of fellow diners that speak with an accent, Aladdin easily passes that test. A steady stream of eat-in, carry-out and catering customers flow through this tiny Bangladeshi joint that serves slow-braised goat and other authentic-tasting meats and sweets. Dining is strictly no-frills, but the Indian…
Best Mexican Cuisine in Macomb County
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 Desserts
Josef’s has been a metro Detroit fixture since 1971, but only this year did our readers vote them in as Best Bakery. The European-style bakery is run by two owners from Montreal who are passionate about making things the old-fashioned way.
Best Neighborhood Pizzeria
Parking in the blacktop lot, and entering the low-slung, wood paneled, kitsch-clogged interior, the visitor to Gracie See will most certainly be transported back to the 1970s. It’s surprising how little this venerable pizza spot, founded in 1969, has changed over the years. The rooms are patrolled by some servers who have worked there for…
Best Beer Selection in a Store in Wayne County; Best Wine Selection in a Store in Wayne County
When you need wine — and some gourmet nibbles to go with it — our readers concur perennially that Merchant’s is Wayne County’s place for reds, whites, blends, reasonably priced bottles and that big splurge. And the owners’ advice is free: “Wine always tastes better with food, beer is always best on a hot summer…
Best Steak in Wayne County; Best Casino Restaurant
Detroit’s casino restaurants are known for lacquering on the decadence, and Greektown Casino’s Brizola is no exception. Everything gets kicked up a notch: Mac ‘n’ cheese becomes lobster mac ‘n’ cheese, mashed potatoes become roasted garlic mashed potatoes, a baked potato becomes a twice-baked potato loaded and wrapped with bacon. The menu’s focus, though, is…
Best Restaurant for Desserts
Before you even get past the door at Vinsetta Garage, you’ll notice details of the building’s past life incorporated into its new incarnation as a hip, mid-priced restaurant. The quality of both the food and service more than matches the effort surrounding the building’s redesign. And then there are those creative desserts! Try a boozy…
Best Comic Book Shop in Oakland County
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 staffed by welcoming, comics-loving folks. The…
Best Snacks in a Classic Cocktail Bar
It’s late in the evening. You’ve been to a soiree, and, elegantly dressed, you’ve waited your turn for a table. Finally seated, the first sips of the evening’s curated cocktail consumption cross your lips. A snack is in order. At the Sugar House, choices abound: peanuts, cookies, pickles, relishes, charcuterie … but, for $2, a…
Best Northern-Style Cornbread
What’s known as Northern-style cornbread is generally sweeter and lighter than the dense and crumbly Southern style. Red Crown truly does the North justice, baking bread with a light texture and sweet, delicate corn flavor. This divine cornbread is then expertly hidden from the diners, served only as a couple small pieces accompanying brisket and…
Best Place to Chat Up the Chef
If you haven’t yet figured out that strip malls can hide a multitude of culinary treasures, get yourself over to Sushi Gallery in Madison Heights. Run by chef Jae Lee and family, this hybrid sushi and Korean restaurant boasts not just good food, but one of the friendliest and most hospitable chefs in town. Chef…
Best Place to Buy a Car
Village Ford has been one of the hippest dealerships for years, and by this point a Dearborn staple. Friendly service, a great showroom, and fair prices keep loyal customers coming back from miles and miles away. Plus, it doesn’t get much more authentic than buying a Ford just down the street from the company’s global…
Best Club Night in Wayne County
This monthly party at Small’s in Hamtramck has kind of exploded into a local institution this year. DJs Pleasure Kitten, Elektrosonik and Aaron Hingst spin new wave and dark ’80s and ’90s alternative all night. Expect to hear the likes of Soft Cell, Depeche Mode, Human League, Roxy Music and the Cure, while hanging with…
Best Happy Hour for Drinks in Wayne County; Best Female Bartender;
Yes, the Coach Insignia is a fine dining restaurant situated atop the Renaissance Center. But it’s also a bar with a beautiful view and a beloved bartender in the form of Chelsea Chandler. This is about as far from a dive bar as terrestrially possible — dressy attire is encouraged and the wine list is…
Best Silver Lining in Detroit’s Bankruptcy
If there is one thing stemming from Detroit’s bankruptcy, it’s that the city is supposed to be left with clean books, a chance to start anew. We appreciate our readers’ optimism, but we’ve yet to hear Detroit Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr offer an answer to the fundamental question in the bankruptcy process: What if Detroit…
Best Business to Patronize in Birmingham
You gotta try the banana coffee if you go. A well-established joint with outstanding breakfast fare, including a burrito the size of a football, Toast has won accolades from a particular monthly glossy numerous times and has won the hearts of MT’s readers too.
Best Local Painter
Vile, creator of the widly popular Dirty Show, stirred up a media circus last fall when he draped “For Sale” signs across some of Detroit’s historic landmarks as a statement about the city’s historic bankruptcy. Vile’s annual show is open to public submissions, but also handpicked artists, something he told us earlier this year always…
Best Club Night in Washtenaw County; Best Dance Club in Ann Arbor
Enveloped in the sounds of house and drum ’n’ bass, preppy college students, seedy goths and techno nuts alike come together to melt on the dance floor at Necto. Surprisingly, the event we speak of, named “Factory,” falls on a Monday night. Necto’s ability to draw people from all over metro Detroit and bring them…
Best Scotch
Fair play, you guys know your Scotch. Laphroaig is a single malt named after a Scottish loch on the south coast of the Isle of Islay. It’s strong, tasty, and not for the faint-hearted. Good work.
Best Bar for a Bloody Mary
You know you’re doing something right when dozens of local retailers are carrying your Bloody Mary mix in their stores. Vivio’s doesn’t play around when it comes to their lauded cocktail, mixed with premium vodka and stirred with a dill pickle spear. It’s something great to be known for, along with tasty burgers and variety…
Best Place to See Street Art
Eastern Market offers plenty of interesting street art exhibits for the public to view while picking fruit on Saturdays. Last year, a group of artists completed a beautiful restoration of the market’s largest mural, a 6,500-square-foot display on the Cost Plus Wine Shoppe’s southern wall that depicts a driver towing fruit and veggies around. There…
Best Local TV News Station
Between Huel Perkins’ late-night “Let It Rip” segment, and ace reporters Charlie LeDuff and M.L. Elrick, as well as a rock-solid morning news crew, it’s easy to see why Fox 2’s news crew clicks with our readers.
Best New Italian in the City
In a transformed Dime Bank, high ceilings help create a stylish aura for a menu that is gloriously Italian. Pasta, pizza and panini are carried to their heights and joined by inspired charcuterie, hanger steak, roasted vegetables for starters, and the featured porchetta entrée, pork belly wrapped around a pork loin, topped with arugula and…
Best Retro Gifts
The Rocket specializes in candy and toys, 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. In abundance are vintage and replica tin toys, metal lunchboxes and whimsical kitchenware. With killer finds like Doctor Who’s sonic screwdriver…
Best Chinese Cuisine in Wayne County
Shangri-La is a fun place to eat. It has a quirky interior, extremely attentive servers, and excellent dim sum, those small plates that are something like Chinese tapas. Most dim sum offer a bite or so for at least three diners. Shangri-La’s versatile kitchen will make everything from sushi to such Americanized comfort food as…
Best Unassuming Organic
On a stretch of Orchard Lake Road dominated by West Bloomfield High School and generic suburban strip malls, there’s an oasis of organic food. The menu is familiar: kefta, kebabs, rice, lentil soup, fresh juices. The prices are reasonable. There are no overbearing servers listing the provenance of ingredients, just a small stack of a…
Best Restaurant to Spend Less Than $50 in Wayne County; Best Craft Cocktails in a Restaurant
Three years ago, Nikita Santches was just some young guy coming into our offices to hype his pies, which he slung up at Rust Belt Market for years. Then, late last year, he opened his Rock City Eatery in Hamtramck, in the former Maria’s Comida space. He did it just about right, adhering to a…
Best Massage Therapist
Unwind entirely at Essential Massage Therapy, which has provided Ferndale with a variety of de-stressing massage options, including Swedish massages, prenatal and couples massages, reflexology, medical massage therapy and Reiki for over 10 years.
Best Coney Island in Macomb County
Chances are you’re never more than a few miles from a National Coney Island or three. Like Twinkies and Joan Rivers, they never seem to go away. But like your car keys or postage stamps, you can never remember where you saw one when you’re looking for it — so check the website or plug…
Best Brewpub or Microbrewery in Macomb County
It doesn’t get any grander than Dragonmead. The squat, unpretentious building by the side of a freeway service drive serves some of the best fermented beverages around, including some high-ABV pours, such as Belgian-style ales that can run to 10 percent ABV. There’s also a nitro tap that pours beers with a creamier consistency. A…
Best Antique Shop
Whether you’ve got something in mind or “you’ll know it when you see it,” Vogue Vintage will provide. From high-end antiques to $2 kitschy crap, the selection of stuff is overwhelming and fun. Its plentiful stock of antiques — furniture is one of the specialties — is generally less than even gently used, and if…
Best Thai Cuisine in Oakland County
Do an informal poll at Bangkok Café’s carryout station and you’ll find that most people have been coming here for years. It’s all about the consistency that starts with their subtly tasty chicken and vegetable fresh rolls enhanced with mint leaves and a tangy dipping sauce and tom yum gai hot-and-sour soup. If a Thai…
Best Italian Cuisine in Oakland County
Sporting tasteful and interesting decor, smooth and professional servers, a versatile and intelligent Italian wine list, and a sophisticated kitchen, Bacco is everything a refined Italian restaurant should be. Although many of the dishes seem familiar, they’re designed with a creative flair that contributes to that singular dining experience.
Best Indie Coffeehouse in Washtenaw County
It almost seems like the Ugly Mug has won this category ever since we started asking readers to vote by county. Heck, it may be true! 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. And it’s all…
Best Indie Grocery Store in Washtenaw County
With ever-changing selections, depending on what’s fresh, available and seasonal, the People’s Food Co-Op helps you mix up your menus. With an inherent sense of community in its café, it also helps you share your passions, interests and opinions with other members. While some members claim years of membership, new ones are just as valued.…
Best Example
Not only do the owners of these high-end fast-food spots use top-quality ingredients — they start their employees at $12 an hour, with some now at $15. That’s literally twice as much as McD’s and BK pay around here. Harry Moorhouse and Brian Parker say they can’t understand why other employers nickel-and-dime their staffs and…
Best Local Comedian
Go!Comedy favorite Tom Novik is a new addition to that venue’s family and a member of the launch group Missed Connections. Love Whose Line Is it Anyway? The check Novik out during Go!Comedy’s Sunday Brunch sessions.
Best Comedy Open-Mic
Lewis Black, Bob Saget and Dave Attell are but a few of the first-rate national comics who yuk-yuk it up at Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle. For a night’s worth of entertainment, the price is right — with tickets anywhere between $10 and $30. Of course, there are local showcases too. Wednesdays are just $3, which…
Best Nickname for Dan Gilbert
At last count, the founder of Quicken Loans owns more than 40 downtown office buildings, has invested more than $1.3 billion in Detroit, totaling more than 8 million square feet of space. The man, some have argued, has single-handedly injected life and energy into downtown’s streets. And, in part, that’s due to his fortune. At…
Best Local Radio News Station
With news director Jerome Vaughn at the helm, and senior news editor Quinn Klinefelter, plus Pat Batcheller manning the mic in the mornings and MT alum Travis Wright, the crew at WDET makes sure we’re up to date about everything local worth knowing.
Best Business to Patronize in Windsor
Operating since 1942, Tunnel provides a family atmosphere, delicious baked goods and an exceptional line of sauces and spices to purchase. Chef Thom Racovitis can be trusted to deliver what patrons want; he’s been working at the family restaurant since he was 11 years old.
Best Hip-Hop Night
On the first Friday night of every month, Old Miami brings Blue Collar Gentlemen, an all-access pass to a vast amount of performances, freestyles, cyphers, battles and just random shit-talking by Detroit’s underground hip-hop elite. The night can showcase the grimy or the polished, the unproven or the spoken for, depending on the month. But…
Best Out-of-Town Publicist for a Local Band
Roldan, who also does press for national and international acts like Yellowcard and Alison Moyet, is one funny motherfucker. His Facebook page is filled with transcriptions of conversations with clueless bloggers trying to talk their way into a big show simply for the free tickets. Roldan is also a kick-ass publicist and a genuinely good…
Best Coach or Manager in Michigan
Izzo’s name has been tossed around recently as a possible candidate for the next Detroit Pistons coach. The longtime Spartans coach has managed to build the team into one of the most successful units in the NCAA. He’s taken the team to a half-dozen Final Fours and seven Big Ten Championships and holds the record…
Best Skatepark
Modern has been a mainstay for local skateboarders for a number of years. With cheap hourly rates, it offers a go-to spot for those looking to drop-in year-round. Our readers seem to have also found the Ride It project as interesting as we did. Local husband-and-wife artists Mitch Cope and Gina Reichert won a $30,000…
Best Reason to Have Hope for Metro Detroit
Sure, everybody’s making fun of millennials these days, that they’re the tousled-hair special little snowflakes brought up in a no-zeroes, trophies-for-all fantasyland that demands near-constant validation and rewards for any effort. Whatever. We’re just thrilled about a generation of people that hasn’t inherited the destructive myths of how Detroit got where it is. What’s more,…
Best Late-Night Eatery
This hallowed little coney island restaurant on Vernor Highway has gotten increased exposure over the last few years, having been featured on Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown show. But don’t let that put you off: The little eatery with a big following of late-night souse-soppers draws on grizzled Detroiters as well as hungry hipsters, making for…
Best Homestyle Desserts
First, a caveat: “Homestyle” desserts do not, by any means, take less technique, skill or effort to create, just because they’re “homestyle.” A good bread pudding is a difficult thing to get right, let alone coming up with new and clever ways to turn local products into a dazzling variety of recognizable and deceptively simple…
Best French Cuisine
The crêpe was just beginning to heat up as a local food trend when Charles Sorel opened his crêperie and cafe down by the main post office. In good weather, it’s an urban oasis, with outdoor seating among raised beds of herbs and hanging plants. You can almost imagine the sun is Mediterranean as you…
Best Mexican Cuisine in Wayne County
On a normal evening, this popular Mexicantown eatery often has a dining crowd filling its three rooms downstairs, spilling over onto the second floor, drawn by its large portions and inexpensive menu. Thanks to Xochi’s liquor license, your friends can keep on tippling while you enjoy a restorative burrito, enchilada or the “super nachos” with…
Best Line of Faux-Vintage Michigan-Themed T-shirts
Complete with a faded, vintage feel, owner Todd Truman’s line of T-shirts features logos of now-defunct Michigan locales like Lee’s Chop Suey Carry Out in Ypsilanti or Pine Knob Music Theatre (Truman’s hottest item, of course — pretty much anyone north of 40 who grew up going to shows at Pine Knob still refuses to…
Best Vintage Clothing in Macomb County
It’s the breadth and the depth that makes the Salvation Army a perpetual readers’ pick in this category. In the past, the numerous locations have been recognized for the endless variety of merchandise, including household goods, toys and electronics. But this year, the vintage clothes get special notice. With some of the best prices in…
Best Gift Shop in Washtenaw County
The folks at Rock Paper Scissors are purveyors of that oh-so-trendy Pinterest aesthetic — you know, inspirational or funny quotes written in a twee handwritten font — and here you’ll find it plastered on all manner of stationery, housewares, wall-art and other knick-knacks, including custom invitations and announcements. They also sell plenty of U-M stuff…
Best Place to Buy a Motorcycle
Whether you’re looking for a new bike, parts, service, riding gear, clothing or just for a place to hang out, Biker Bob’s is southeast Michigan’s top dealership for new and used Harley motorcycles, parts, clothing and service. Hop on a bike and get ready to look good flying. mt
Best African-American Hair Salon
At her Midtown salon, Nefertiti provides a calming refuge from hectic city life, and she views 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 of their hair. This…
Best Place to Meet Your Neighbors
Since its opening last June, we’ve been to Ferndale’s Public House at least a dozen times and have never failed to strike up a conversation with fellow diners at the bar, or, on slower days, the friendly waitstaff and management. A large part of why this is easier than at other restaurants is the prominent…
Best Tasty Vintage Clothing and Electro-Vinyl Combo
Cool used clothing meets the largest selection of techno, house, disco and electronic records in the city at owner Mikel “the oldest raver” Smith’s store. In his current location, he has had DJs spinning, as well as fashion shows and artists doing real-time painting exhibitions, often capturing a full-on audience before they even walked through…
Best Indie Men’s Clothing in Washtenaw County; Best Vintage Clothing in Washtenaw County
Let’s face it, men dressed better in pretty much any other decade. Fashion-forward guys are well aware of this; that’s why they go to the Getup Vintage for everything from leather jackets to polyester shirts to vintage rock T-shirts to hunting coats. Of course, there’s plenty for the ladies too. The Getup’s vast selection zeroes…
Best Condiment Trend
“Condiment: A substance, such as a sauce or spice, used to add flavor to food.” With that definition, it might be difficult to construe the egg as a condiment, since more often than not, an egg is eaten with condiments rather than as one. Make no mistake, however: The egg is the best condiment there…
Best Poutine
With Windsor only a short jaunt away, it’s surprising that it’s taken so long for poutine, a Canadian specialty of french fries, brown gravy and cheese curds, to gain a foothold here in the Detroit area. Perhaps, with the stellar example set by Firebird’s poutine plate, we’ll see more places try this cousin of chili…
Best Album for Getting High to, Coming Down to, and Waking Up with
Brown’s third album highlights exactly why Danny Brown fans love Danny Brown, and why everybody else should love Danny Brown. Uniquely sharp and sassy, the man is a huge talent. Blow job controversy aside (although let’s face it, that was kinda funny), this year has seen Brown enhance his public profile massively. Not even a…
Best Cigar Bar
Located in swanky Birmingham and the slightly less swanky West Bloomfield, Churchill’s is known for its good food and excellent cigar humidor. The sliders and steak tips come highly recommended, and the bar staff knows how to pour a stiff drink. The selection of cigars is exemplary, and eye should be kept peeled for the…
Best State Bill That Blatantly Undermines Picketers for Literally No Reason
There’s plenty for anti-gay lawmaker Tom McMillin to stay busy with in Lansing these days. But McMillin’s bill to crack down on picketers surprised us. The bill would increase fines for picketers to $1,000 a day; for groups who sponsor a picket, $10,000 a day. Worse, a controversial provision exempted picketed businesses from having to…
Best Local Website
We were saddened to hear Deadline Detroit had fallen on hard times recently, announcing layoffs of the entire staff unless new investors came along. A project of former Detroit Free Press veteran Bill McGraw and Detroit News alum Allan Lengel, Deadline Detroit offered solid original reporting and commentary and served as a wonderful launch pad…
Best Tiger, Best Professional Athlete
Miggy! When it comes to hitting, you can forget the argument about Cabrera being the best the Tigers have and start talking about all of baseball. In helping lead his team to another American League pennant last year, Miggy became the first AL slugger to win consecutive MVPs since Frank Thomas (1993-94). Cabrera, a right…
Best Dive Bar in Washtenaw County
On Yelp, somebody referred to the Tap Room as a smelly, low-brow dive bar, and they meant it as a positive. That should tell you all you need to know about the place. It’s dank, it’s dirty, and it’s a great place to get hammered fast without breaking the bank. It’s not all grit though…
Best Scene Cheerleaders
Sadie Q and Christie Laabs of Hip in Detroit really never have anything bad to say about anybody, and that’s OK. That’s their bag, and its how they’ve set themselves up. These girls are cheerleaders, determined to “big up” everything that they like and basically ignore what they don’t. There’s a real buzz about the…
Best Local Journalist Who’s Not Charlie LeDuff
We knew from last year’s poll that our readers appreciate LeDuff’s penchant for generating one big scoop after another, but if there’s anyone who manages to break stories while being an exceptional showman, Fox 2 did no wrong in hiring Elrick. One of the Detroit Free Press reporters who landed a coveted Pulitzer Prize for…
Best Business to Patronize in Midtown Detroit
Opened in 1997, Avalon has been a wildly popular establishment along Cass Corridor, offering the freshest bread made entirely with organic products. It seems everywhere you go nowadays, Avalon bread is being sold, as it should! The always bustling cafe sports a hardworking crew that deserves the reputation it’s earned over time.
Best Bowling Alley
Talk about aging gracefully. Operating for more than a century, the Garden Bowl has been setting up pins and knocking them down over at the Garden Bowl, which is part of Midtown’s Majestic entertainment center. Built in 1913, it can lay claim to being “America’s oldest active bowling center.” Over the years it has evolved…
Best Cheap Breakfast in Macomb County
You may know Martin’s from the old location in Center Line, but it’s under new ownership and doing a bang-up business in Eastpointe, serving some of the most gut-pleasing breakfasts, corned beef or no, in the county.
Best Brunch in Washtenaw County
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 friendliness. They pour on the quality, serving excellent breakfasts, and there can be lines on a Sunday morning. Café Zola, with its brick walls, large picture windows and, in season,…
Best Wine Selection in a Store in Washtenaw County
Plum Market’s amazing cheese selection, chocolate, and plentiful organic and local choices bring shoppers in for those household staples — but they have a great wine selection too. Plus, if you’re über-organized, you can drop your own serving dishes off, and the cooks will fill them with their tantalizing dishes. Confess to your dinner guests…
Best Sweets Shop
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 glistening array of mouthwatering cakes and pies and cookies and puddings. Then there’s…
Best Indie Hardware Store in the Suburbs
Blair Gilbert, the owner of Gilbert’s Pro Hardware, really knows his hardware. After all, they don’t call him Mr. Hardware for nothing. He’s a third-generation hardware man and has tripled the size of Gilbert’s hardware since taking ownership. The shop sells all kinds of hardware, from nails and screws to heavy-duty tools and everything in…
Best Gift Shop in Oakland County
A companion store to the popular Clarkston Union restaurant, Union General Store offers up a quirky take on the idea of the traditional small-town gathering spot (Clarkston Union was built in an old church; this gift shop is in the church’s former clergy house — the owners live upstairs). Clarkston Union may have famously long…
Best Middle Eastern Cuisine in Washtenaw County
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 less than $5 or $6: falafel with baba…
Best Barbecue in Washtenaw County
The barbecue spot next to Whole Foods on Washtenaw Avenue has become top dog this year, garnering more votes than Red Rock and Blue Tractor (what’s with the colors?). But don’t take our readers’ word for it. The restaurant has a smoker right where you can see (and smell) it.
Best Beer Selection in a Restaurant
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.
Best Indian Cuisine in Washtenaw County
What makes our Washtenaw County readers love Shalimar? Maybe it’s the mix of north Indian, tandoori and Mughlai cuisines. Perhaps it’s the way vegetarians have almost as many choices as meat-eaters. It could also be the full bar with Indian beer and special cocktails. Whatever it is, this isn’t the first time our readers have…
Best Indie Record Store in Washtenaw County
Floor-to-ceiling shelves house a massive amount of new and used vinyl and CDs; jazz and classical titles, as well as locals past and present, abound. Stumbling upon rare gems is an everyday occurrence — but the goodies move fast, so don’t hesitate. Encore also features an impressive collection of zines, books, handbills and other ephemera.
Best Soul Food in Suburbs
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 that features bright artwork and a bustling open kitchen.
Best Steak in Washtenaw County
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 New Italian in the Suburbs
Luigi Cutraro calls it “Italian with a Sicilian accent” and says his menu is “built upon thousands of years of eating.” Those years of expertise are distilled into bright dishes served in a cozy and convivial atmosphere with no pretensions except to flatter the mouth. There’s pizza, yes, but so much more: a salad of…
Best Local Music Festival That Isn’t Blowout
When all the hoo-hah had died down and the ‘Fuck Blowout’ rhetoric had faded away, the Hamtramck Music Festival was a great event — well organized and well attended, and featuring some great bands. In fairness, we didn’t want those March dates anymore and we appreciate the need for a “coming out of hibernation” party,…
Former-Goldman Sachs VP: Detroit bankruptcy didn’t need to happen
(Source: Wikimedia Commons) We dropped by Wayne State University’s law school this morning to hear former Wallace Turbeville, former Goldman Sachs vice president and current senior fellow at Demos, highlight a report he published on Detroit’s bankruptcy last fall. In case you haven’t read it, Turbeville’s findings don’t exactly mesh with Detroit Emergency Manager Kevyn…
New Poetry Zine
Somebody sent it here. We’re no fans of poetry, and we usually take all submissions of poetry chapbooks and zine and grind them up for goat food. But on the off chance that some of our readers like poetry or zines (or both) we thought we’d describe it at least. It’s called Cruel Garters, and it’s…
Q & A with rapper Chuck Inglish
“Prolific” is a term thrown around a lot these days, especially with how easy it is to produce your own music, but Chuck Inglish owns the term. One half of rap duo The Cool Kids, the Mount Clemens born and bred musician has four acclaimed solo EPs under his belt and is set to release…
City Slang: Fuzz Fest this weekend
Fuzz Fest, a three-day celebration of Michigan rock ‘n’ roll, takes place at Woodruff’s in Ypsilanti from Thursday, April 10 to Saturday, April 12. There will be two stages over the three nights, and 33 awesome Michigan bands. Doors open at 7 p.m., and music starts at 8 p.m. Cover is $7 each night, $10…
Today is Free Ice Cream Day at Ben and Jerry’s in downtown Detroit
Ben and Jerry’s in downtown Detroit is serving up gratis ice cream today in recognition of Free Ice Cream Day, the blessed unofficial holiday. Folks can nab a four ounce cone with flavors such as Hazed & Confused, Chocolate Nougat Crunch, White Russian,? ?Cotton Candy,? Lemonade Stand, or ?Vanilla Chocolate Chunk, all served today by…
City Slang: Music review roundup
Send CDs, vinyl, cassettes, demos and 8-tracks to Brett Callwood, Metro Times, 1200 Woodward Heights, Ferndale MI 48220. Email MP3s and streaming links to bcallwood@metrotimes.com. Awesome Jarvis and the Whales’ Ride the Whale! (Funky D) kicks off with the song “Ass Cracks” and the line, “If I was put in charge, the first thing I’d…
