Let’s be honest... If you think about planning a food oriented trip, Michigan might not be your obvious first pick. We however discovered that Detroit has a thriving restaurant selection and other food oriented activities.

Our first destination was Ann Arbor, just 40 minutes off Detroit. The home of the University of Michigan, with only 150,000 citizens, it has an outstanding 300 restaurants in a 20 miles radius. Walking downtown, I did not see any “big chain” fast food restaurants and only one Starbucks. This is usually a good thing when you are a foodie.

In all of the eight restaurants that we visited in Ann Arbour, the gluten intolerant member of our party [odd phrasing] never had a problem to find great food. Vegetarian options were alway easily available.

Seva

Speaking of vegetarian, Seva was our first destination. Located at 314 E. Liberty, Seva offers a completely vegetarian menu since 1973, before being vegetarian was even a thing. i must admit that my general idea of a vegetarian restaurant is a granola-joint offering a “salad bar” or some other shady stuff filled with tofu. Don't get me wrong... I love my meat, but if anything could turn me into a vegetarian, it would be Seva. I was really impressed with my plates of Thai salad, pesto pizza sandwich on a rye bread and enchiladas calabaza. Don’t hesitate to try it out for a new experience, especially if you are not a vegetarian yourself.

The Blue Nile

Since ethnic restaurants are very rare where I come from, I was very pleased to have a taste of Ethiopia at The Blue Nile restaurant (221 E. Washington). The experience is very traditional, as you sit on tables that are very low and you eat by pinching your food with pieces of injera instead of using utensils. Amazing.

Amadeus

With dishes from Central Europe (Poland, Hungary and Austria) and a decor to match, Amadeus (122 E. Washington) is another great place we enjoyed. Who does not love polish sausages? And why have I never tasted a strawberry soup before? So many questions.

Frita Batidos

Located not to far on West Washington, Frita Batidos is nothing like I ever experienced. Chef and owner Eve Aronoff brings together two classics of Cuban street food: the frita, a burger filled with spicy chorizo (they have other choices of meat too) and fries in a soft egg bun, and Batidos, a tropical milkshakes that can be served with rum. You will not regret trying it.

Mark’s cart

For a less formal lunch, go just a bit further at 211 West Washington to try out Mark’s cart. Sit on a picnic table to enjoy a meal from one of the eight food carts. The offerings go from mexican food, southern barbecue, artisan grilled cheese, indian, wood-fired pizza, asian, and more. We were all particularly impressed with our plate of shanu chaat served at Hut-K Chaats, a super healthy and amazingly good meal. And to go along your nutritious food, why not try a beet lemonade? Yes, I said “beet lemonade”. It is good, it is healthy, and it is offered at The Beet Box cart, the pink one at the very end.

Café Zola

Café Zola was our breakfast destination the next morning. Also located on W. Washington, Café Zola is a hip place for all kind of people. My breakfast was filling and delicious. Look at those waffles!

Zingerman’s Deli

Located in the Kerrytown district near the farmers market, Zingerman’s Deli was our destination for lunch. It is truly a magic place and has nothing to envy against any other famous delicatessen restaurant. My corn beef sandwich on Jewish rye bread and the old pickle that came along where fantastic. It is not a fancy five-course meal restaurant, but it is definitively a place you should try to enjoy great food and peruse all the other products they sell in the grocery section of the premise.

We left the Campus inn that was conveniently located from a walking distance of all the restaurants we tried to head out to Detroit.

Pegasus

Our first stop in the motor city was a nice dinner at Pegasus, a Greek restaurant located, believe it or not, in Greektown. Imagine all the (nice) cliché you associate with a Greek restaurant and they can be applied to Pegasus: abundance of food, nice flambé ("hopa! Hopa!"), great salads, lambs, the whole nine yards.

Russell St. Deli

In Detroit, Eastern Market is located the tiny Russell St. Deli. The small restaurant can holds less that 40 patrons and you should arrive early because it is common to see a long line forming outside on the sidewalk. Something that you might like (or not): they have long tables and maybe you will end up eating with other people that you don't know. Nice way to make friends! If you can't stand waiting, at least stop to buy their homemade jams.

Detroit Eastern Market

Since we where in the Eastern Market, we explored the area with great amusement. There are so many things to see, so many things to taste, so many things to smell that you let your senses guide you around the shops, the stalls and the vendors to the enjoyment of your nose and your mouth. We rarely see these kind of places anymore, all are lost to the gentrification of our metropolitan downtowns.

Hamtramck

Hamtramck, a suburb of Detroit, has a huge population of Polish immigrants and this is reflected in the food industry around. For a taste of Eastern Europe, go to Joseph Campeau street to try out the bakery and the meat market, then go up to Yemans street at the Polish restaurant. Delicious.

London Chop House

The pinnacle of our trip was most certainly the London Chop House in the business district, a restaurant that first opened in 1938 (they closed for a few year and just reopen in 2012). Be ready to be transported in an old era, in a very old school and dark environment, all wooden, with a trio playing some jazz and crooners classics. Wear a jacket and maybe a tie, and enjoy one of the best meal around.

My bourbon brined pork loin was just perfect, and so was my cheesecake trio. And how better to finish this amazing meal than with a 12 year old Macallan scotch? This was a night to remember.

Slows bar-B-Q

Since you will probably want to take your very own photo of the vacated Grand Terminal Station, one of the most famous building of Detroit, why not stop at Slows bar-B-Q, just across the corner? My huge portion of pulled pork with my side of Mac-n-cheese where both excellent. Also try the waffle fries, you will not regret it!

Michigan, I will miss you.