Bragging Rights

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As much as I hate to boast, my neighborhood is better than yours. At least if you live in Detroit. Want proof? North Rosedale Park, part of Grandmont Rosedale, is curbeddetroit.com’s 2012 Neighborhood of the Year.

What makes us so great? Aside from outstanding, custom-built homes dating to the 1920s, we’re Detroit’s only neighborhood with its own park and community house. Interesting people have lived here — from the iconic City Council President Maryann Mahaffey to the late, great Emanuel Steward. Friends run Grandmont Rosedale Development Corp., an organization tirelessly striving to rehab houses, beautify the community, and much more. Longtime neighbor Michelle Fecteau, pursuing her passion to make a difference, recently won a term on the State Board of Education.

Are we really the “best”? Curbed Detroit’s poll may be an unscientific, grass-roots one, but it offers bragging rights, baby! We kicked the proverbial butts of Midtown, Downtown, and (in your face!) Corktown. (Just kidding, Corktown.)

People enjoy debating the “best” anything. If Miguel Cabrera hadn’t been named MVP last season, Tigers fans would’ve been outraged (just ask Angels fans who were miffed that rookie phenom Mike Trout finished second).

Hour Detroit encourages such debates. “Best of Detroit” (June) lets readers choose their favorites. “Top Docs” (October) is a scientific, peer-driven process. Plus, there’s our “Detroiter of the Year” (July) and “Best Dressed” (November).

Which brings us to Restaurant of the Year, a title we bestow that causes a lot of internal conversation and consternation. Of course, it’s subjective. To my mind, Restaurant of the Year should be an exquisite, white-linen place for celebrating an anniversary or landing a big account. You might pick an entirely different venue to party with old friends, or visit a well-loved family diner to sample its corned-beef hash.

Restaurant of the Year should be more timeless than trendy. And in the ephemeral restaurant world, it’s noteworthy that of Hour Detroit’s last dozen Restaurant of the Year winners, 10 are still in business. So if the Tre Monti staff are (decorously, of course) thinking “in your face” … well, they should be proud!

That said, if you believe your neighborhood is way better than mine — or you don’t agree with our restaurant, fashion, or other choices — let us know at hourdetroit.com. We love a good debate.


P.S. Downton Abbey Meets hourdetroit.com

Fans of the popular PBS series Downton Abbey might argue that some of the best scenes happen during dinner at the staff’s table. (For the uninitiated, Downton Abbey depicts the antics of the aristocracy and staff of an early 1900s upper-class British manor.) It’s sort of like going into a fine dining establishment for a glimpse behind the scenes — where staff gather to chat about food, customers, and more. To extend our 2013 Restaurant of the Year coverage, we’re pleased to debut “At Your Service — an online video segment starring the staff of Tre Monti.