Best of Metromix Detroit 2012Restaurant
Hungry? There are so many spectacular restaurants in the metro Detroit area you'd think eating is all there is to do in the city (weight a minute!). Okay, back on point: Narrowing down the amazing dining destinations to five is truly a ridiculous task, but we had to so we tried to provide some variation in our nominees through location, the scene at the establishment, consistency and, most importantly, the culinary creations each exemplary eatery offers. If you think we left out a deserving nominee, let us hear about it!
And the winner is…
Bacco Ristorante
29410 Northwestern Highway
Southfield, MI 48034Readers enamored of the high-end, often imported ingredients and scratch cooking techniques put Bacco Ristorante in the top spot. The chef cooks seasonally and uses nightly specials to produce dishes like zucchini blossoms stuffed with fresh imported buffalo mozzarella and prosciutto. The regular menu is filled with dishes that have become fixtures, from hand-rolled strozzapreti pasta with Italian sausage, black truffles, tomatoes and cream to flavorful, tender Piedmontese beef filet with Gorgonzola sauce. Classic veal saltimbocca is one of the best you’ll find. The all-Italian wine list boasts about 700 selections.
Nominees
Forest Grill
735 Forest
Birmingham, MI 48009Casually sophisticated atmosphere. Elegantly spare, contemporary dining room features two exterior glass walls, subdued lighting, dark wood floors and a neutral palette of cream, brown and pale gray. Dining space adjoins open kitchen with clay wall oven. Sophisticated, seasonal American bistro cuisine, with clay-oven pizzas and charcuterie. Housemade desserts. Engaging, well-priced wine list offers more than 200 selections, many available by the glass and half-glass.
Roast
1128 Washington Blvd.
Detroit, MI 48226Neighborhood: Downtown Detroit
Food Network Iron Chef Michael Symon of Cleveland has said Roast goes beyond typical steakhouse fare by featuring wood-burning grills and huge rotisseries with lamb, suckling pigs and other meats roasting within view of the dining room. Yah, probably not the best spot for vegetarians, but Symon's hot spot in the Westin Book Cadillac was the Free Press' 2009 Restaurant of the Year
Wolfgang Puck Pizzeria and Cucina at MGM Grand Detroit
1777 Third
Detroit, MI 48226Neighborhood: Downtown Detroit
The glistening brass chandelier and sparkling contemporary glass wall panels hint that this may not be your average restaurant. In fact, SaltWater is one of the classier seafood restaurants in the D. Boasting top U.S. chef Michael Mina at the helm, the spot in the MGM Grand Detroit casino won Detroit Free Press' Restaurant of the Year for 2008. The Maine lobster pot pie is a specialty of the house -- and we also recommend the miso-glazed butterfish.
Iridescence at Motorcity Casino
2901 Grand River
Detroit, MI 48201Neighborhood: St. Charles County
The fact that Iridescence won a Wine Spectator award in 2007 tells you that this isn't a scruffy burger bar. Located at the top of the new building, Iridescence offers one of the best views of the city while serving up fine fusion cuisine that ranges from sashimi to foie gras.
Last year's winner
Slows Bar BQ
2138 Michigan
Detroit, MI 48216Neighborhood: Corktown/Michigan Ave.
Yes, the wait may be impossible, but oh my is it ever worth it. The Corktown establishment, ever since opening in 2005, has reinvented barbecue in the D. Hip, cool and super sauce-y
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