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There aren’t many places in metro Detroit where you can get a shot of illy® espresso at 6 a.m., then end your night with shots of limoncello at 2 a.m. Torino Espresso + Bar in Ferndale is in a class by itself there. Childhood friends Noah Dorfman, Samer Abdallah and Jim Culliton wanted Torino to be the kind of coffee bar-meets-BAR bar hangout popular all over Europe but rare to find in the States (and almost unheard of in metro Detroit).
“We wanted to be able to showcase this European experience that metro Detroit really doesn’t have,” says Dorfman. “It’s been really nice [to be able to do that]. Some people come in here with their laptop and order a martini; you can’t do that at Starbucks.”
The Mood
Torino, named after a city in Italy (“Turin” in English) is designed to be the kind of place where “there can be someone in shorts and flip-flops sitting next to a group of guys in three-piece suits and they’ll all feel comfortable," says Dorfman. The goal is to offer a fine dining feel in a non-pretentious place. “We want to make sure every single person who comes in here has a good experience. No matter how you come in you are treated the same and feel like you belong.”
Because Torino is a bit of a mixed-use restaurant/bar/café, the space is designed for a mixed-use appeal. Purposely designed to evoke different atmospheres, different “sections” of Torino look like either a bar, an upscale lounge, a dining room, or an Internet café (there is, of course, free WiFi). The overall aesthetic is industrial chic: local artisan concrete designer and metal fabricator Drew Derkacz custom-made every single surface, including 500-lb concrete slabs with wooden inlays and distressed aluminum accents. The outdoor patio features custom carpentry made to look like a European sauna. And as for the bathrooms … “The only input my dad had was, ‘Make sure you have a cool bathroom,’” Dorfman says. Three words: Dyson hand dryers. The walls throughout are adorned with mixed media paintings by local artist Aaron Miller and “old-school” black and white Italian photos in wood frames juxtaposed with Ralph Steadman prints. There is no detail overlooked anywhere in the design of the space or menu, and all of it pays homage to Euro style and Italian tradition with a distinctly metro Detroit flare that fits right in with fashionable (and sophisticated, without being smarmy) Ferndale.
The Food
The fine dining element comes in the form of Italian-style antipasti (the Italian version of what are called tapas in Spanish, meze in Greek, and simply small plates in plain old English). The menu features a range of Italian-inspired dishes like house-made olive tapenade and hummus to a variety of paninis. A seasonal menu of local Michigan fare with a European twist is also featured.
For breakfast they offer granola, waffles and fruit smoothies, but what you really want here is the coffee.
The Drinks
They use genuine illy® gourmet Italian espresso, a name both coffee-lovers and Italy-lovers will instantly recognize. The illy® can is connected right to the grinder, and there’s new coffee ground every 10 minutes when they’re busy. For those who prefer brewed coffee, they carry organic Guatemalan coffee traditionally brewed and French press (the preferred method of coffee nerds). And here’s a tip for you: if order the French press and stick around for awhile, you’ll get a whole French press pot with about two more cups of coffee inside. Hello, VALUE.
For beverages a little more potent, they offer a unique selection of hand-crafted Italian-themed cocktails of their own creation. They make their own mixes, infusions (try the pineapple habanero tequila), and even squeeze the cucumbers for their Cucumber Martini (made with Hendricks Gin, St. Germaine, cucumber essence and lime). Their Italian Mojito -made with muddled mint and orange, dark rum and soda - is a huge hit, as is their house margarita. They have a small but handsome wine list with labels predominantly from Italy and California. Their mark-up is minimal; few bottles top $40 and most wines are available by the glass for $8 or less. They also make killer sangria.
The Service
As is standard practice in both third-wave coffeehouses and craft cocktail bars, patience is key—these beverages take a little extra time. The owners are hands-on in running the day-to-day operations of the restaurant, and you’ll often be served by one of them, which creates a much more personal experience. (These guys really do care about what they do.)
Insider’s Tip
Don’t come expecting to order a full meal of lamb shank and risotto; this is not that kind of a place. Industrial chic and modern Euro, yes—it is all of that. But ultimately it is a very simple place that serves coffee, cocktails and lighter plates of food that complement them. Because the space is somewhat mixed-use it also has mixed appeal; there may be a group chattering excitedly away right next to a person working quietly on his laptop … if you need absolute silence in your preferred coffee shops, this might not be ideal for you.
The Verdict
It’s sophisticated but not too sophisticated—it’s still a fun place to hang out with friends or solo, if that’s your speed. And on weekends it’s open for 20 consecutive hours three days straight; if you like it THAT much, you barely ever have to leave!
