You’ll often find me at Capital Grille [in Troy] for a good lunch meeting. I can never resist crab legs at O’Brien’s Crabhouse or grabbing popcorn at Emagine theaters. Honestly, everything I do tends to weave in food somehow — and I’m perfectly OK with that!”
– Radio and TV host (100.3 WNIC and Fox 2)
“I enjoy spending time with my family at home and around town in Royal Oak. I always get my bread from Crispelli’s, go to Frentz & Sons Hardware for home improvement needs, and my wife and I love English Gardens since we love landscaping and spending time in our garden.”
– Cory Barberio, Executive chef/managing partner of the Shinola Hotel
“I like to swing by Main Street in downtown Clarkston for a bite to eat and a beverage on a weeknight out, [for] dinner with friends, or before a concert at DTE [Pine Knob Music Theatre]. Red wine pairs well with mac and cheese.”
– Cristy Lee, HGTV star
“My favorite thing to do has to be visiting my old stomping grounds at Southfield High School, now called Southfield A&T. Going to the movies is also a favorite. Detroit doesn’t have movie theaters, so I love going to the Emagine Royal Oak and Birmingham 8.”
– Lawrence Lamont, Movie director, One of Them Days (now residing in Los Angeles)
“Fishing in one of the many beautiful waterways around metro Detroit. They’re very accessible for fishing by shore or by boat, and there are so many species to target. Some favorites are targeting smallmouth bass on the Huron River, smallmouth bass or pike on Lake St. Clair, and walleye on the Detroit River. It can be very kid-friendly as well. My 3-year-old son is a frequent companion on fishing adventures!”
– Patrick Jobst, Assistant director of food and beverage for Method Co. (Book Tower restaurants Le Suprême, Hiroki-San, and more)
“I am usually in Grosse Pointe. I spend time on The Hill on Kercheval, starting with a coffee at Morning Glory, pop into Pearl to shop for clothing, and then Flyleaf for a book. In the evening, I [like to] go to the Dirty Dog Jazz Cafe for dinner and live music.”
– Gretchen R. Valade, Director of sustainability at Carhartt; owner of Eugenie Detroit
“I consider Linden Park in Birmingham to be very special. It’s a wooded oasis where I go weekly just to connect with the beauty of nature (I basically grew up in a forest in Finland). For food, you can’t go wrong with Phoenicia — a great spot to eat and people-watch.”
– Aki Choklat, Linda Dresner endowed chair in fashion design at the College for Creative Studies
“I like going to any place that my 2- and 3-year-old grandchildren like, such as the Detroit Zoo, Rainforest Cafe, the Belle Isle Aquarium, or an Emagine theater.”
– Paul Glantz, Chairman and CEO of Emagine Entertainment
“I go to the grocery store, because there seems to be better produce available there. I love being in the city and will always love being from the city; however, Detroit is still largely a food desert, so I shop in the metro area.”
– Melissa Butler, CEO and founder of The Lip Bar
“Franklin Athletic Club is my go-to spot for workouts and playing tennis in the colder months. Great mix of people and wide variety of programs and amenities. [For dining, I go to] Casa Pernoi, Phoenicia, Wilder’s, Forest, and Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse in Birmingham and Joe Muer Seafood in Bloomfield Hills.”
– Ven Johnson, Attorney and founder of Ven Johnson Law
To read the full 2025 City Guide, visit hourdetroit.com/cityguide.
This story originally appeared in the April 2025 issue of Hour Detroit magazine. To read more, pick up a copy of Hour Detroit at a local retail outlet. Our digital edition will be available on April 7.
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