In May 2026, we will celebrate our 30th anniversary of bringing you the best metro Detroit has to offer. That means that this month is the start of our 30th year of publishing the magazine. In recognition of that, we are featuring content from the past on the pages of the magazine for the next 11 months. We hope you enjoy this walk down memory lane.
In the Beginning …
In June of 2000, four years after the magazine launched, Hour Detroit ran its first Best of Detroit list. Below, the writer says they were reluctant to fill pages with a “sometimes-clichéd” list but gave in due to readers’ constant requests for recommendations. “Seeking the best, it seems, is just human nature,” they noted.
What’s Changed
Back then, the magazine accepted votes for chains and national brands like McDonald’s and Costco. Today, we only include small chains that are Michigan-based or chain hotels that have a look unique to Detroit.
Hoo-Ray’s for Ice Cream
Twenty-five years ago, the Best of Detroit surveys were sent to readers via mail and given by editors hitting the streets. The team also asked the opinions of notable locals, such as WRIF’s Drew Lane and Mike Clark (far left). Ray’s Ice Cream in Royal Oak (at left and on the cover of the issue) was at the top of list then and is still there today.
Molly Abraham
It was fun for us to see who the Detroit notables were in 2000. Restaurant critic Molly Abraham is one who stands out. She is listed as writing for The Oakland Press, the Macomb Daily, and the Daily Tribune, but she had so many more credits to her name over her seven decades in journalism, including the Free Press, The Detroit News, and yours truly. She was inducted into the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame in 2024, a year after her death.
Old and New Favorites
The best new attraction on the 2000 list? Comerica Park, of course. We’re happy to see there are many Food & Drink favorite places are still around. What’s notable is that this section has just 26 food items. Today’s list has 62 of the former and 16 of the latter. But we understand the editors’ need for a shorter list: They had to count the survey results by hand.
This story originally appeared in the June 2025 issue of Hour Detroit magazine. To read more, pick up a copy of Hour Detroit at a local retail outlet. Click here to get our digital edition.
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