Best of Detroit 2018

Pamper Yourself

Meet the glam squad making metro Detroiters look good

Antonino Salon & Spa, Birmingham From balayage color services to a proprietary product line, Antonino takes the prize for Best Hair Salon. antoninosalon.com

6 Salon, Birmingham and Royal Oak The salon’s locations excel at treatments and cosmetic services. Exceptional skills with heat styling and makeup application earned them both Best Salon for a Blowout (Multiple Locations) and Best Salon for a Makeover. sixsalon.com

Detroit Blows, Detroit Best Salon for a Blowout (Single Location) goes to a spot offering one service — a kickass blow-out. detroitblows.com

Margot European Day Spa, Birmingham From singles to those seeking a romantic experience, the day spa offers the Best Massage in town. margots.com

Beach House Day Spa, Birmingham At times, Detroit calls for a zen escape from a bustling city. Unwind at the Best Spa with cupping therapy, a full body scrub, or a relaxing sauna. beachhouse-dayspa.com

Todd’s Room, Birmingham As the Best Salon for a Makeup Artist, clients can count on this beauty haven for smoky eyes, a bold lip, full brows, and more. toddsroombirmingham.com

The Ten Nail Bar, Detroit Offering chic nail art and a glass of champagne with every service, here’s the Best Salon/Spa for a Manicure and Pedicure. thetendetroit.com

Detroit Barbers, The Best Independent Barber (Multiple Locations) vote goes to this shop, which offers traditional services and grooming products at its Detroit and Ferndale locations. detroitbarbers.com

Baus The Grooming House, Birmingham Local gents can book appointments at this dapper barbershop via an innovative app, earning it a well-deserved title as our Best Independent Barber (Single Location). bausgrooming.com

Face, Bingham Farms Whether your skincare concern is fine lines and wrinkles, acne, or dryness, this location is the Best Salon/Spa for a Facial. facebeautyscience.com

Sweet Victory

A local bakery takes the cake (and the cookie, too!)

// By Lexi Trimpe

Love & Buttercream swept the dessert portion of this year’s Best of Detroit, taking home Best Locally Owned Bakery (Suburb), Best Cupcakes, and Best Cookies. The bakery makes all of its seasonal treats from scratch, without shortenings, oils, or preservatives.

Since opening in 2012, Love & Buttercream has steadily grown under the ownership of Brooke Wilson Vitale (pictured left) from a one-woman cottage business, to a multiple-location venture. “The community has really welcomed us with open arms since the day that we opened in Royal Oak,” she says. In 2016, the bakery opened a second, much larger location in Birmingham, which offers private parties and baking classes.

But even with so much growth, Wilson Vitale hasn’t lost sight of what’s important. “We try to focus on creating a customer experience for every customer that walks through the door and make them [feel] unique and special,” she says. “Whether they’re just getting a cookie or we’re designing an elaborate wedding cake for them.”

Visit loveandbuttercream.com for more information.

A Toast to the Best

We certainly like to enjoy an adult beverage once in a while. Here’s to this year’s winners.

// By Steve Wilke

Vivio’s Food & Spirits, multiple locations With eateries in Detroit and Warren, the perennial winner is still the champion for the Best Bloody Mary. viviosdetroit.net; vivioswarrenmi.com

Atwater Brewery, Detroit; Griffin Claw Brewing Co., Birmingham Close to home, it’s Atwater for the win for best Locally Made Beer (City). (Their labels feature art from “Best of Detroit” winner, Fine Artist, Tony Roko!) Meanwhile in Birmingham, Griffin Claw gets the nod for Best Locally Made Beer (Suburb). atwaterbeer.com; griffinclawbrewingcompany.com

Chateau Grand Traverse Late Harvest Riesling Put a cork in it. Hour Detroit readers think this white is the best Michigan-Made Wine. cgtwines.com

Bell’s Brewery, Kalamazoo; Founders Brewing Co., Grand Rapids These two Michigan brewers gone big time have ended up in (bottle) neck-and-neck tie for Best Locally Made Beer (State). bellsbeer.com; foundersbrewing.com

Black Star Farms, Traverse City; L. Mawby Winery, Suttons Bay It was also a tie ball game for the Best Michigan Winery. blackstarfarms.com; lmawby.com

Two James Spirits, Detroit; Valentine Distilling, Ferndale Corktown’s Two James gets the nod for Locally Made Spirits (City), and Ferndale’s own Valentine Distilling is voted Locally Made Spirits (Suburb). twojames.com; valentinedistilling.com

The Sugar House, Detroit; The Oakland Art Novelty Co., Ferndale Searching for the Best Classic Artisan Cocktails? Hit up The Oakland in the suburbs, and The Sugar House in the city. sugarhousedetroit.com; theoaklandferndale.com

Rise and Shine

Start your morning off right with one of these winning breakfast spots

Ashe Supply Co., Detroit Winning for Best Independent Coffee House, this craft coffee roaster is revered for its small-batch brews, served in a cool, industrial atmosphere. ashesupplyco.com

Detroit Institute of Bagels The Best Bagels (Single Location) in metro Detroit can be found at this Corktown staple. Its dense bagels and flavorful spreads have made it a favorite amongst Detroiters (and Martha Stewart). detroitintututeofbagels.com

Toast (Birmingham, Ferndale) Looking for something out of the ordinary? The Best Creative Breakfast (Multiple Locations) in metro Detroit can be found at these colorful and eclectic locations. toastbirmingham.com ; eatattoast.com

Dutch Girl Donuts, Detroit Since 1947, this Palmer Woods mainstay has been churning out classic style doughnuts at ridiculously reasonable prices. Consistency is key, earning the location Best Doughnuts (City). 313-368-3020

Dime Store, Detroit Bringing home wins for Best Sunday Brunch (City), Best Place for a Business Lunch (City), and Best Business Breakfast (City), this downtown favorite is known for its from-scratch fare, classic cocktails, and lengthy local beer menu. eatdimestore.com — LT

Funny Business

A local comedian on spreading happiness

// By Lyndsay Green

Ingrid Walton (a.k.a. Coco), is a trusted source for a good laugh. For years, listeners woke up to her voice on 105.9 Kiss-FM’s Mason & Coco in the Morning! Humor-lovers flock to her skits at venues throughout southeast Michigan, and she’s performed everywhere from bar mitzvahs to churches. “Have joke, will travel,” she says.

Coco’s ability to keep Detroiters laughing for over 25 years has earned the Highland Park native the title as this year’s Best Comic. But more than a comedian, she has a passion for bringing overall joy to peoples’ lives through humor and not-so-random acts of kindness. In addition to shedding light on often stigmatized subjects like menopause and mental illness — Coco finds that “humor is a buffer to talk about sensitive subjects” — she also operates Coco’s House, a nonprofit that assists men and women recovering from substance abuse, forges relationships with metro Detroit’s youth, and occasionally and anonymously, pays off property taxes for homeowners at risk of losing their homes. “I’m learning that my gift is helping people. It’s my passion and my purpose.”

Visit cocoshouse.org for more information.

In Tune With the City

Detroit is known for iconic musicians, but there’s a surprising lack of music stores. Third Wave Music, which opened in Midtown in 2016, is one of the few. While Third Wave won Best Place to Buy Musical Instruments (Single Location), it also offers repairs, lessons, and consignment services. It’s operated by owner Jen David (pictured), her husband Jeffrey Thomas, local musician Devin Gregory, plus teachers and repair technicians.

David’s love of music is life-long. “My upbringing almost makes opening a music store seem predestined,” she says. “My mom is a longtime manager of a metro Detroit music shop and my dad is a professional jazz pianist. Music was important to me from a young age, and when I moved to the city … I noticed the abundance of musicians and the lack of an all-in-one music store, kind of like the one I grew up in.”

But it was about more than demand, she explains. “Detroit is an inspiration in itself, musically and otherwise, and the players in this city deserve a convenient, community-focused, one-stop shop for the all the things they need to keep playing.”

Visit thirdwavedetroit.com for more information. — LT

Glitz and Glam

Get dressed up for a night on the town with clothing and accessories from these local retailers

The Claymore Shop, Birmingham; The Suit Depot, multiple locations Gentlemen are in good hands at The Claymore Shop, winner of Best Place to be Fitted for a Suit (Independent), and The Suit Depot, Best Place to be Fitted for a Suit (Chain). claymoreshop.com ; thesuitdepot.com

The Peacock Room, Detroit With garments, jewelry, and more curated by owner Rachel Lutz, her two locations are a go-to for unique finds with vintage flair, nabbing The Best Women’s Evening Wear and Best Place for One-of-a-Kind Dresses. 313-559-5500

Tapper’s Diamonds and Fine Jewelry, multiple locations; Ahee Jewelers, Grosse Pointe Woods Taking home the gold, Tapper’s Diamonds and Fine Jewelry is Best Jeweler (Multiple Locations), while Ahee Jewelers is Best Jeweler (Single Location). tappers.com ; ahee.com —EK

Get Active

These Metro Detroit spots offer plenty of ways to get a move on

// By Emma Klug

Dequindre Cut, Detroit; Detroit RiverWalk, Detroit; Paint Creek Trail, Rochester Look to the Dequindre Cut and Paint Creek Trail for the Best Running Route (City) and Best Running Route (Suburb). The Dequindre Cut also tied with Detroit RiverWalk for Best Bike Trail (City), while Paint Creek Trail was named the Best Bike Trail (Suburb). detroitriverfront.org ; paintcreektrail.org

Oakland Hills CC, Bloomfield Township; Shepherd’s Hollow GC, Clarkston The more than 100-year-old Oakland Hills Country Club is this year’s Best Private Golf Club, while 27-hole Shepherd’s Hollow Golf Club wins for Best Public Golf Course. oaklandhillscc.com ; shepherdshollow.com

The Loving Touch, Ferndale When it’s not hosting touring music acts, The Loving Touch, voted Best Pool Hall, is the place to be for a game of billiards. thelovingtouchferndale.com

Garden Bowl, Detroit The Garden Bowl is Best Bowling Alley. It’s also considered “America’s oldest active bowling center.” majesticdetroit.com

Franklin Athletic Club, Southfield With 13 air-conditioned courts available all year round as well as a teaching staff that has been internationally recognized, it’s no contest for Best Indoor Tennis Court. franklinclub.com

Best in Show

Detroit Dog Rescue stands out among the pack

In 2017 alone, Detroit Dog Rescue — this year’s Best Local Charity — saved almost 300 homeless animals from Detroit Animal Control and provided free vaccination and pet wellness clinics to 2,000 homes.

“What keeps us going is the promise that one day, though education, outreach, collaboration, and dedication, we can make Detroit the no-kill city we know it can be!” says the organization’s executive director, Kristina Rinaldi.

With a team of more than 150 volunteers and fosters, the nonprofit cares for up to 125 dogs at a time at its Detroit facility, and works around the clock to train traumatized animals, provide programs for dogs in hospice care, and offer pet services to low-income Detroiters.

Rinaldi says a larger DDR facility will open in 2019, meaning even more “happy tails” are to be expected. But, in the meantime, donations, fostering, adopting, and volunteering, is always appreciated.

“We welcome everyone’s support,” Rinaldi says. “Our dogs need friends!”

Visit detroitdogrescue.com for more information. — EK