Yotsuba Japanese Restaurant & Bar and La Zingara Trattoria

Restaurant veteran Molly Abraham noshes around town, tracking down some top spots

Deep-fried flounder with ponzu sauce, from Yotsuba Japanese Restaurant & Bar.

Photograph by Joe Vaughn

Yotsuba Japanese Restaurant & Bar: The semi-circular sushi bar is the central core of this authentic restaurant that’s a spinoff of the original in Ann Arbor. Veteran sushi chef Bobby Suzuki has a loyal following in West Bloomfield for his precise nigiri and rolls. There are also traditional tatami rooms and conventional seating for Japanese noodle, teriyaki, katsu, and yakitori dishes from the kitchen at Ann Lin’s handsome restaurant. 7365 Orchard Lake Rd., West Bloomfield; 248-737-8282; 2222 Hogback Rd., Ann Arbor; 734-971-5168. L & D daily. $20
 
La Zingara Trattoria: There’s no more charming restaurant on Windsor’s Via Italia than this airy, brick-walled room with a traditional, wood-burning pizza oven in one corner of the dining room and a menu of housemade pastas, as well as veal and seafood dishes. A good wine list accompanies the well-prepared fare, and a professional spin is evident in the crisp but friendly Italian-accented service. There’s often entertainment in the adjoining bar. 769 Erie St. East, Windsor; 519-258-7555. L weekdays, D nightly. $18

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