Tag

American

13 articles

Restaurant Profile

Grand Trunk Pub and the Reuben That Justifies the Drive

In a former railway ticket station on Woodward Avenue, a pub does exactly what a pub should do.

Grand Trunk Pub occupies a 1879 building on Woodward Avenue that spent three decades as a railway ticket station. The vaulted ceilings are original. The Reuben is the reason to go.

March 16, 2026 · 6 min read
Restaurant Profile

Wright & Company Turns a Jewelry Store Into Detroit's Most Interesting Dining Room

On Woodward Avenue, a second-floor restaurant in a building from the 1890s serves small plates and cocktails worth the stairs.

Wright & Company occupies the second floor of a historic Woodward Avenue building in downtown Detroit. The small-plates menu and cocktail program have made it one of the city's essential reservations.

March 8, 2026 · 6 min read
Restaurant Profile

Jolly Pumpkin Ann Arbor: The Sour Beer Standard, Downtown

Ron Jeffries' sour brewery moved into 311 South Main and gave the block a beer program that most cities would kill for.

Jolly Pumpkin's Ann Arbor taproom on South Main brings oak-aged sour ales, wood-fired pizza, and a rooftop that fills fast. The beer is the draw. The food keeps you there.

January 17, 2026 · 5 min read
Restaurant Profile

The Pretzel Bell: South Main's Comeback Story

A name that dates to 1934 now anchors Ann Arbor's most interesting cocktail block. The history is real. So are the drinks.

The Pretzel Bell on South Main Street carries a name that dates to 1934 and a cocktail program that earns its place on Ann Arbor's densest bar block.

December 13, 2025 · 6 min read
Restaurant Profile

Republic Earns Its Regulars

On West Grand Boulevard, a Midtown tavern with a kitchen that outpaces the label.

Republic at 3011 W Grand Blvd in Detroit serves American tavern food with a kitchen that keeps surprising. The burger is excellent, the seasonal dishes rotate with purpose, and the room invites you to stay.

November 10, 2025 · 5 min read
Restaurant Profile

Dexter's Pub Is the Neighborhood Bar Done Right

At 8114 Main St, a small-town pub that doesn't overthink it.

Dexter's Pub at 8114 Main St serves baby back ribs, burgers, and cold beer on Dexter's Main Street. Patio seating in warm weather. Closed Mondays.

October 27, 2025 · 3 min read
Restaurant Profile

Folk Detroit Cooks Breakfast Like It Means Something

At 1701 Trumbull in Corktown, Rohani Foulkes built a restaurant from pastry, jollof rice, and a point of view.

Folk Detroit on Trumbull Avenue in Corktown draws from West African, Caribbean, and Southern cooking traditions. The pastry case is the first thing you see, and the jollof rice is the reason to stay.

October 20, 2025 · 5 min read
Restaurant Profile

The Roadhouse Is the Loud One, and That's the Point

Twenty-three years in, Zingerman's full-service restaurant on Jackson Avenue is still the most democratic table in Ann Arbor. Fried chicken, pit barbecue, mac and cheese made with Martelli pasta, and a room that seats hundreds.

Zingerman's Roadhouse has been serving fried chicken, pit barbecue, and Martelli mac and cheese at 2501 Jackson Ave for 23 years. It's the big, loud, full-service arm of the Zingerman's community, and it earns every decibel.

October 16, 2025 · 9 min read
Restaurant Profile

Basil Babe Brought Real Thai Cooking to Ypsilanti's West Side

A mother-daughter kitchen at 701 West Cross Street, two doors down from where Wurst Bar used to be.

Basil Babe at 701 W Cross St in Ypsilanti serves Thai food from a mother-daughter team with deep roots in the cuisine. The massaman curry and pad see ew are the orders.

October 6, 2025 · 3 min read
Restaurant Profile

The Bomber Has Been Feeding Ypsilanti Since Before the Bombers Flew

At 306 East Michigan Avenue, a WWII-themed diner that earned the theme.

The Bomber at 306 E Michigan Ave has been feeding Ypsilanti since 1936. Cap'N Crunch French Toast, laminated menus, and the kind of breakfast that fortifies you for the rest of the day.

September 22, 2025 · 3 min read
Restaurant Profile

Sava's and the State Street Trick

A restaurant that looks like it was built for Instagram has quietly become one of Ann Arbor's most reliable kitchens. The brunch is the draw. The range is the surprise.

Sava's on South State Street draws crowds with its dramatic space and broad Mediterranean-American menu. The brunch is the draw, but the dinner menu is the stronger argument.

September 15, 2025 · 5 min read
Restaurant Profile

Bill's Drive-In Has Not Changed. That Is the Entire Point.

Since 1939, the mustard-colored building on East Michigan Avenue has been serving root beer and hot dogs from the same window.

Bill's Drive-In at 1292 E Michigan Ave in Ypsilanti has been open since 1939. House-made root beer in a chilled mug, carhop service, and hot dogs that taste like they always have.

August 4, 2025 · 3 min read
Restaurant Profile

The Common Grill Has Been Here for Thirty Years. Chelsea Still Needs It.

Chef Craig Common built a real restaurant in a town of 5,000 and kept it alive through everything.

Chef Craig Common has been running The Common Grill in Chelsea since the mid-1990s. Thirty years in a town of 5,000 is a story about food, loyalty, and stubbornness.

June 19, 2025 · 6 min read