Best of Detroit 2022

Featuring more than 200 categories, Best of Detroit 2022 is your guide to the top places, people, attractions, and more the area has to offer. The list — as nominated and voted by you, the Hour Detroit readers — includes reader comments as well as photos highlighting some of this year’s winners. 

Arts & Entertainment // Health & Beauty // Drinks // Food // Community & Personalities // Retail // Services // Sports

Arts & Entertainment

Art fair

1^stAnn Arbor Art Fair

Ann Arbor; theannarborartfair.com 

2^ndDally in the Alley

Detroit; dallyinthealley.com

3^rd Art in the Park

Plymouth; artinthepark.com

Other finalists:

Arts & Apples Festival, Rochester; pccart.org

DIY Street Fair, Ferndale; ferndalediy.com

Soaring Eagle Arts, Beats & Eats, Royal Oak; artsbeatseats.com

Art gallery

1^st Library Street Collective

Detroit; lscgallery.com

2^ndDavid Klein Gallery

Detroit, Birmingham; dkgallery.com

3^rdProgressive Art Studio Collective

Various locations; progressiveartstudiocollective.org 

Other finalists:

Kickstart Gallery & Shop, Farmington; kickstartfarmington.org

Lisa Spindler Studio, Detroit; spindlerproject.com

Nicole Tamer Art Gallery, Detroit; nicoletamerart.com

Saint Andrew’s is Detroit’s official club for everything!

— Shontori Bowles, Detroit

Band

1^stFifty Amp Fuse

fiftyampfuse.com 

2^ndThe Family Tradition Band

thefamilytraditionband.com

3^rdWill Sessions

willsessions.bandcamp.com

Other finalists:

Battlecross; battlecrossmetal.com/

Laura Rain & the Caesars; laurarain.net/

Mac Saturn; macsaturn.com

Vavoom; vavoomband.com

Casino

1^stMGM Grand Detroit

Detroit; mgmgranddetroit.mgmresorts.com 

2^ndHollywood Casino at Greektown

Detroit; hollywoodgreektown.com

3^rdMotor City Casino

Detroit; motorcitycasino.com

Club for dancing

1^stBoogie Fever

Ferndale; boogieferndale.com 

2^ndThe Marble Bar

Detroit; themarblebar.com

3^rdDeluxx Fluxx

Detroit; deluxxfluxx.com

Other finalists:

The Annex, Detroit; theannexdetroit.com

Club 54, Sterling Heights; club54sterlingheights.com

El Club, Detroit; elclubdetroit.com

TV Lounge, Detroit; ra.co

The Henry Ford is a great place for locals and tourists! The presidents’
motorcade cars are the best!”

—Cynthia Stump, Northville

Club for live music

1^stSaint Andrew’s Hall

Detroit; standrewsdetroit.com

2^ndCliff Bell’s

Detroit; cliffbells.com

3^rdEl Club

Detroit; elclubdetroit.com

Other finalists:

Flood’s Bar & Grill, Detroit; floodsdetroit.com

Small’s, Hamtramck; facebook.com/smallsbar

The Morrie, Royal Oak, Birmingham; themorrie.com

Comedy club

1^stMark Ridley’s Comedy Castle

Royal Oak; comedycastle.com 

2^ndGo Comedy! Improv Theater

Ferndale; gocomedy.net

3^rd Independent Comedy Club

Hamtramck; planetant.com

Other finalists:

Big Tommy’s Comedy Club, Novi; bigtommys.com

One Night Stan’s Comedy Club, Waterford; onenightstanscomedyclub.com

Community theater company

1^stStagecrafters 

Royal Oak; stagecrafters.org 

2^ndDetroit Public Theatre

Detroit; detroitpublictheatre.org

3^rd Planet Ant Theatre

Hamtramck; planetant.com

Other finalists:

Avon Players, Rochester Hills; avonplayers.org

Detroit Repertory Theatre, Detroit; detroitreptheatre.com

St. Dunstan’s Theatre, Bloomfield Hills; stdunstanstheatre.com

Ringwald Theatre, Ferndale; theringwald.com

Concert venue

1^st Pine Knob Music Theatre

Clarkston; 313presents.com

2^ndFox Theatre

Detroit; foxtheatredetroit.net 

3^rdSaint Andrew’s Hall

Detroit; standrewsdetroit.com

Other finalists:

Little Caesars Arena, Detroit; 313presents.com

The Majestic, Detroit; majesticdetroit.com

Jazz club

1^stCliff Bell’s

Detroit; cliffbells.com

2^nd Baker’s Keyboard Lounge

Detroit; facebook.com/bakers-keyboard-lounge 

3^rd Dirty Dog Jazz Cafe

Grosse Pointe; dirtydogjazz.com

Other finalists:

Blue Llama Jazz Club, Ann Arbor; bluellamaclub.com

Willis Show Bar, Detroit; willisshowbar.com

Boogie Fever is the best place to get your groove on!!!!

— Dana B., Berkley

Movie theater (art/indie)

1^stThe Maple Theatre

Bloomfield Hills; themapletheater.com 

2^nd Redford Theatre

Detroit; redfordtheatre.com

3^rd Detroit Film Theatre

Detroit; dia.org/visit/detroit-film-theatre 

Other finalists:

Cinema Detroit, Detroit; cinemadetroit.org

Movie theater (complex)

1^stEmagine

various locations; emagine-entertainment.com  

2^nd MJR Digital Cinemas

various locations; mjrtheatres.com

3^rd Phoenix Theatres

Livonia, Wayne; phoenixmovies.net

Other finalists:

Bel Air Luxury Cinema, Detroit; belairluxurycinema.com

The Riviera Cinema, Farmington Hills; emagine-entertainment.com

Museum (arts)

1^stDetroit Institute of Arts

Detroit; dia.org

2^ndCranbrook Art Museum

Bloomfield Hills; cranbrookartmuseum.org

3^rd Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit

Detroit; mocadetroit.org

Museum (other)

1^stHenry Ford Museum of American Innovation

Dearborn; thehenryford.org

2^ndCranbrook Institute of Science

Bloomfield Hills; science.cranbrook.edu

3^rd Motown Museum

Detroit; motownmuseum.org

Other finalists:

Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, Detroit; thewright.org

Detroit Historical Museum, Detroit; detroithistorical.org

Dossin Great Lakes Museum, Detroit; detroithistorical.org

Music artist

1^stJack White

jackwhiteiii.com 

2^ndBig Sean

uknowbigsean.com

3^rd Griz

mynameisgriz.com

Other finalists:

Annemarie Jo; annemariejomusic.com

Ben Sharkey; bensharkey.com

Thornetta Davis; thornettadavis.com

Performing arts venue

1^stFox Theatre

Detroit; 313presents.com

2^ndDetroit Opera House

Detroit; detroitopera.org

3^rd Masonic Temple

Detroit; themasonic.com

Other finalists:

Cliff Bell’s, Detroit; cliffbells.com

Macomb Center for the Performing Arts, Clinton Charter Township; macombcenter.com

Orchestra Hall, Detroit; dso.org

Royal Oak Music Theatre, Royal Oak; royaloakmusictheatre.com

The DIA is one-of-a-kind awesome. Especially enjoy Kresge Court for ambiance, music, and food, as well as Diego Rivera Frescoes. They restore peace and perspective to a troubled soul.

—Sue Probert, Farmington Hills

Podcast

1^stThe Drew & Mike Show

drewandmikepodcast.com

2^ndLive from Detroit: The Jeff Dwoskin Comedy Show

jeffisfunny.com

3^rd When Survival Looks Like Success

whensurvivallookslikesuccess.buzzsprout.com 

Other finalists:

Life Excellence with Brian Bartes; brianbartes.com/

The Robinett’s Nest with Chuck and Kristy; facebook.com/therobinettsnestpodcast

Visual artist

1^stKim Fujiwara

kfgallery.com 

2^ndMattie Armstrong

mattiearmstrongart.com 

3^rd Ouizi

ouizi.art 

Other finalists:

Alexandria Bishop; facebook.com/aalexandriabishop

Ellen Rutt; ellenrutt.com

>>Back to the top

Health & Beauty

Aesthetician 

1^st Margot European Spa

Birmingham; margots.com

2^ndFace Skincare Medical Wellness

Bingham Farms; facebeautyscience.com

3^rdSkin Bar VII

Detroit; skinbar7.com

Other finalists:

Antonino Salon and Spa, Birmingham; antoninosalon.com

Zuliani Facial Aesthetics, Bloomfield Hills; zulianimd.com

Barber shop

1^st 6 Salon

Various locations; sixsalon.com 

2^ndLefty’s Barbershop

Ferndale; leftysbarber.shop

3^rdYoungbloods

Hazel Park; youngbloodsshop.com

Other finalists:

Hair Bandit, Pleasant Ridge; hairbanditofficial.com

Blowouts

1^st 6 Salon

various locations; sixsalon.com

2^ndBianchi’s Salon

various locations; bianchis.com

3^rdAntonino Salon and Spa

Birmingham; antoninosalon.com

Other finalists:  

Hair Bandit, Pleasant Ridge; hairbanditofficial.com

Legato Salon & Spa, Birmingham, Farmington; salonlegato.com

Skye Salon, Grosse Pointe; skye-salon.com

Cannabis dispensary (medical)

1^st House of Dank

various locations; shophod.com

2^ndKing of Budz

Detroit; kobdetroit.com

3^rdLiv Cannabis

Ferndale; livcannabis.com

Other finalists:

New Standard, Ann Arbor, Hazel Park; anewstandard.com

Puff Cannabis Co., various locations; puffcannaco.com

Cosmetic surgeon

1^st Dr. Daniela Rodriguez

St. Clair Shores; drdrodriguez.com 

2^ndDr. Charles Boyd

various locations; boydbeauty.com

3^rdDr. Anthony Youn

Troy; dryoun.com

Other finalists:

Dr. Giancarlo Zuliani, Bloomfield Hills; zulianimd.com

Dr. Neal Sakwa, Troy; sakwaplasticsurgery.com

I joined Citizen Yoga to do a good thing for my mind and body and be in a community. I feel comfortable there and am so glad I joined.

—Neil Campbell, Royal Oak 

Crossfit gym

1^st Crossfit Bloomfield

Bloomfield Hills; crossfitbloomfield.com 

2^ndRebel Strength and Fitness

Warren; rebelstrengthandfitness.com

3^rdFive Lakes Crossfit

Farmington Hills; fivelakescrossfit.com

Other finalists:

Crossfit Brighton, Brighton; crossfitbrighton.com

Crossfit Freshwater, Saint Clair Shores; crossfitfreshwater.com

Crossfit HCS, Ferndale; crossfithcs.com

Crossfit Maven, Rochester; crossfitmaven.com

Day spa

1^st Beach House Day Spa

Birmingham; beachhouse-dayspa.com

2^ndRivage Day Spa

Birmingham; rivagedayspa.com

3^rdMargot European Spa

Birmingham; margots.com

Other finalists:

Breathe Bodywork and Beautification, Ferndale; breathebodyworkandbeautification.com

Face Skincare Medical Wellness, Bingham Farms; facebeautyscience.com

Eyebrow specialist

1^st 6 Salon

various locations; sixsalon.com

2^ndTodd’s Room

Birmingham; toddbeauty.com

3^rd Browe Skin & Brow Bar

Auburn Hills; broweskinandbrow.com

Other finalists:

Antonino Salon and Spa, Birmingham; antoninosalon.com

Red’s Waxing Studio, Clinton Township; redswaxingstudio.com

Facials

1^st Rivage Day Spa

Birmingham; rivagedayspa.com

2^ndMargot European Spa

Birmingham; margots.com

3^rd Face Skincare Medical Wellness

Bingham Farms; facebeautyscience.com

Other finalists:

Antonino Salon and Spa, Birmingham; antoninosalon.com

Breathe Bodywork and Beautification, Ferndale; breathebodyworkandbeautification.com

Fitness classes

1^st Ohana Fitness and Wellness

Shelby Township; ohanafitnessandwellness.com

2^ndRebel Strength and Fitness

Warren; rebelstrengthandfitness.com

3^rdGunny’s Garage

Garden City; gunnyfit.com

Other finalists:

AFC Strong, Detroit; afcstrong.com

Cely Fit, West Bloomfield; me.onpodio.com

Fitness trainer

1^st Stephanie Riley, Rebel Strength and Fitness

Warren; rebelstrengthandfitness.com

2^ndAhmad “The Gunny” Hamadeh, Gunny’s Garage

Garden City; gunnyfit.com

3^rdChad Demchik, Next Level Fitness Academy

Warren; getfitwithnextlevel.com

Other finalists:  

Anna Connolly, AFC Strong, Detroit; afcstrong.com

Oliver Beardsall, Pursuit of Progress Training Club; poptrainingclub.com

Gym (old-school)

1^st Detroit Body Garage

Detroit; detroitbodygarage.com

2^ndRebel Strength and Fitness

Warren; rebelstrengthandfitness.com

3^rdMuscles Gym

St. Claire Shores; mimuscles.com

Other finalists:

Beverly Hills Club, Beverly Hills; beverlyhillsclub.net

Downtown Gym, Detroit; dbgdetroit.org

Beach House Day Spa is just amazing. Service, attitude, friendliness, atmosphere — literally everything is top notch!

—Joseph Rush, Bloomfield Hills

Hair salon

1^st 6 Salon

various locations; sixsalon.com  

2^ndAntonino Salon and Spa

Birmingham; antoninosalon.com

3^rdRed the Salon

Birmingham; redthesalon.com

Other finalists:

Hair Bandit, Pleasant Ridge; hairbanditofficial.com

Meraki Salon and Extensions, Shelby Township; merakisalonandextensions.com

Health club

1^st Detroit Athletic Club

Detroit; thedac.com 

2^ndThe Schvitz

Detroit; schvitzdetroit.com

3^rdFranklin Athletic Club

Southfield; franklinclub.com

Other finalists:

Cely Fit, West Bloomfield; me.onpodio.com

Good Vibe Sister Tribe, St. Clair Shores; goodvibesistertribe.com

Hot shave

1^st Detroit Barber Co.

various locations; detroitbarbers.com

2^ndLefty’s Barbershop

Ferndale; leftysbarber.shop

3^rd6 Salon

various locations; sixsalon.com

Other finalists:

Hair Bandit, Pleasant Ridge; hairbanditofficial.com

Union Barber, Ferndale; unionbarber.com

Lash specialist

1^st 6 Salon

various locations; sixsalon.com

2^ndBirmingham Beauty Bar

Birmingham; facebook.com/birminghambeautybar

3^rdThe Lash Cabana Beach Spa

Clinton Township; thelashcabanabeachspa.com

Other finalists:

Eyedolize, Birmingham; eyedolize.com

Red the Salon, Birmingham; redthesalon.com

Mani-pedi salon

1^st Beach House Day Spa

Birmingham; beachhouse-dayspa.com 

2^ndEco Nails

Troy; econailssalon.com

3^rdRivage Day Spa

Birmingham; rivagedayspa.com

Other finalists:

Antonino Salon and Spa, Birmingham; antoninosalon.com

Margot European Day Spa, Birmingham; margots.com

Massage

1^st Rivage Day Spa

Birmingham; rivagedayspa.com

2^ndMargot European Spa

Birmingham; margots.com

3^rd Breathe Bodywork and Beautification

Ferndale; breathebodyworkandbeautification.com

Other finalists:

Antonino Salon and Spa, Birmingham; antoninosalon.com

Michelle Zmich Therapeutics, Farmington; facebook.com/mztherapuetics

Pilates classes

1^st Hot Yoga Ferndale

Ferndale; hotyogaferndale.com

2^ndPilates Detroit

Ferndale; pilatesdetroit.com

3^rdEquilibrium Pilates Studio

Bloomfield, Birmingham; equilibriumstudio.com

Other finalists:  

Alka Kravetz, Align Pilates LLC, Bloomfield Hills

Brenda Freeman Pilates, Northville; brendafreemanpilates.com

Reforming Foundations Pilates & Wellness, Berkley; reformingfoundations.com

Warehouse Pilates, Northville; warehousepilates.com

Michigan spa resort

1^st Grand Traverse Resort and Spa

Acme; grandtraverseresort.com 

2^ndCrystal Mountain

Thompsonville; crystalmountain.com

3^rdImmerse Spa at MGM Grand Detroit

Detroit; mgmgranddetroit.mgmresorts.com

Threading

1^st 6 Salon

various locations; sixsalon.com

2^ndFace Candy: Skin & Beauty

Troy; facecandybeautybar.com

3^rdKrishna Salon & Spa

Farmington Hills; salonkrishna.com

Other finalists:  

Evergreen Beauty Spa Threading and Sugaring, Troy; evergreenbeautyspa.com

Pretty Browz and Spa, various locations; myprettybrowz.com

Yoga studio

1^st Citizen Yoga

various locations; citizenyogastudio.com

2^ndDetroit Yoga Lab

Detroit; detroityogalab.com

3^rdFull Lotus Yoga

Detroit, Grosse Pointe Woods; fulllotusyoga.net

Other finalists:

Body Language Fitness and Yoga Center, Commerce Township; bodylanguagefy.com

Community Yoga Studio, Birmingham; communityyoga.studio

Thrive Hot Yoga, Farmington Hills; thrivehotyoga.com

Bold Flow Yoga, various locations; boldflowyoga.com

>>Back to the top

Drinks

Bar/lounge to take a client

1^st The Apparatus Room

Detroit; detroitfoundationhotel.com/apparatus-room

2^ndThe Monarch Club

Detroit; monarchclubdetroit.com

3^rdEvening Bar

Detroit; eveningbar.com

Other finalists:

Adachi, Birmingham; adachirestaurant.com

Bar Verona, Commerce Township, Washington; barverona.com

Madam, Birmingham; daxtonhotel.com/food-drink

Bar/lounge to take a date

1^st Sugar House

Detroit; sugarhousedetroit.com 

2^ndCandy Bar

Detroit; candybardetroit.com 

3^rdStandby

Detroit; standbydetroit.com

Other finalists:  

Evening Bar, Detroit; eveningbar.com

The Oakland Art Novelty Co., Ferndale; theoaklandferndale.com

Beer selection (bar)

1^st Hopcat

various locations; hopcat.com

2^ndBrown Iron Brewhouse

Royal Oak, Washington; browniron.com

3^rdThe Brakeman

Detroit; thebrakemandetroit.com

Other finalists:

Collect, Detroit; collect-beerbar.com

The Morrie, Birmingham; Royal Oak; themorrie.com

Brewery/bar

1^st Atwater Brewery

Detroit, Grosse Pointe Park; atwaterbeer.com

2^ndGriffin Claw Brewing Co.

Birmingham, Rochester Hills; griffinclawbrewingcompany.com

3^rdEastern Market Brewing Co.

Detroit; easternmarket.beer 

Other finalists:

Batch Brewing Co., Detroit; batchbrewingcompany.com

Urbanrest Brewing Co., Ferndale; urbanrest.com

Craft cocktails

1^st Sugar House

Detroit; sugarhousedetroit.com

2^ndBad Luck Bar

Detroit; badluckbar.com

3^rdThe Oakland Art Novelty Co.

Ferndale; theoaklandferndale.com

Other finalists:  

Evening Bar, Detroit; eveningbar.com

The Peterboro, Detroit; thepeterboro.com

Distillery

1^st Two James Spirits

twojames.com

2^ndValentine Distilling Co.

valentinedistilling.com

3^rdDetroit City Distillery

detroitcitydistillery.com

Other finalists:

Bitter Tom’s Distillery, Lake Orion; bittertomsdistillery.com

Motor City Gas, Royal Oak; motorcitygas.com

Rusted Crow Distillery, Dearborn Heights; rustedcrowspirits.com

Weiss Distilling Co., Clawson; thewdc.com

Two James: great atmosphere, wonderful drinks, amazing staff, and fun, personable tours! 

—Cindi Reed, Livonia 

Dive bar

1^st The Old Miami

Detroit; oldmiami.business.site

2^ndGusoline Alley

Royal Oak; facebook.com/gusoline-alley

3^rdSneakers Pub

Ferndale; sneakerspubferndale.com

Other finalists:

 Bumbo’s Bar, Hamtramck; bumbosbar.com

New Way Bar, Ferndale; newwaybar.com

Happy hour

1^st Bobcat Bonnie’s

various locations; bobcatbonnies.com 

2^ndBrown Iron Brewhouse

Royal Oak, Washington; browniron.com

3^rdHazel’s

Birmingham; eatathazels.com

Other finalists:

Liberty Bar & Poutinerie, Pontiac; thelibertybar.com

Zao Jun, Bloomfield Township; zaojunnewasian.com

The Apparatus Room has great ambience and a rich history [on the site of the Detroit Fire Department’s headquarters from the late 1920s to [2013].” 

—Dennis Farmer, Canton

High-end bar

1^st Sugar House

Detroit; sugarhousedetroit.com

2^ndThe Monarch Club

Detroit; monarchclubdetroit.com

3^rdCandy Bar

Detroit; candybardetroit.com 

Other finalists:

Bad Luck Bar, Detroit; badluckbar.com

Evening Bar, Detroit; eveningbar.com

LGBTQ bar

1^st Temple Bar

Detroit; facebook.com/temple-bar-detroit

2^ndSoho

Ferndale; ferndalesoho.com

3^rdPronto Lounge & Showbar

Royal Oak; prontolounge.com 

Other finalists:

Checker Bar, Detroit; checkerbar.com

Liberty Bar & Poutinerie, Pontiac; thelibertybar.com

Temple Bar is a Cass Corridor legend. It was there before the area got trendy and continues to thrive.

—Ashley Dagostino, Detroit 

Michigan beer

1^st Bell’s Brewery

bellsbeer.com

2^ndFounders Brewing Co.

foundersbrewing.com

3^rdAtwater Brewery

atwaterbeer.com

Other finalists:

Griffin Claw Brewing Co., Birmingham; Rochester Hills; griffinclawbrewingcompany.com

Jolly Pumpkin Brewery, various locations; jollypumpkin.com

Michigan winery

1^st Blake’s Orchard and Cidery

Armada; blakefarms.com

2^ndBlack Star Farms

Suttons Bay; blackstarfarms.com

3^rdDetroit Vineyards

Detroit; detroitvineyards.com

Other finalists:

Bonobo Winery, Traverse City; bonobowinery.com

Mari Vineyards, Traverse City; marivineyards.com

Shady Lane Cellars, Suttons Bay; shadylanecellars.com

The Bronx Bar. Not only is it a great atmosphere, but they have a large variety of drinks. They have a pool table and a jukebox. This is where I met some of my best lifelong friends.

—Megan O’Meara, Livonia

Neighborhood bar

1^st Bronx Bar

Detroit; facebook.com/bronx-bar-detroit 

2^ndRenshaw Lounge

Clawson; renshawlounge.com

3^rdKiesling

Detroit; kieslingdetroit.com

Other finalists:

Abick’s Bar, Detroit; facebook.com/abicks

Bumbo’s Bar, Hamtramck; bumbosbar.com

Kozy Lounge, Hazel Park; kozylounge.com

Two Birds, Detroit; twobirdsdetroit.com

Place to drink outdoors

1^st Detroit Shipping Co.

Detroit; detroitshippingcompany.com

2^ndBlake’s Tasting Room

Armada; blakefarms.com

3^rdThe Ferndale Project

Ferndale; ferndaleproject.com

Other finalists:

Collect, Detroit; collect-beerbar.com

The Brakeman, Detroit; thebrakemandetroit.com

The Old Miami, Detroit; oldmiami.business.site

Urbanrest Brewing Co., Ferndale; urbanrest.com

Hamlin Pub in Clarkston has awesome drinks, Amy the bartender is awesome, and the wings are phenomenal.

—Rosa Saunders, Waterford

Sports bar

1^st Hamlin Pub

various locations; hamlinpubs.com

2^ndNemo’s Detroit

Detroit; nemosdetroit.com

3^rd24 Seconds Bar & Grill

Berkley; 24secondsbar.com

Other finalists:

J’s Penalty Box, Ferndale; jspenaltyboxferndale.com

McShane’s Pub & Whiskey Bar, various locations; mcshanespub.com 

Tap at MGM Grand, Detroit; mgmgranddetroit.mgmresorts.com

Thomas Magee’s, Detroit; thomasmagees.com

Wine bar

1^st Motor City Wine

Detroit; motorcitywine.com

2^ndMichigan by the Bottle

various locations; mbtbtasting.com

3^rdThe Royce Detroit

Detroit; theroycedetroit.com

Other finalists:

Cellar 59, Clinton Township; c59winebar.com

Detroit Vineyards, Detroit; detroitvineyards.com

Vertical Detroit, Detroit; verticaldetroit.com

>>Back to the top

Food

Appetizers

1^st Brown Iron Brewhouse

Royal Oak, Washington; browniron.com 

2^ndSan Morello

Detroit;  sanmorello.com 

3^rdAdachi

Birmingham; adachirestaurant.com 

Other finalists:

Le Feria, Detroit; facebook.com/laferiadetroit

Olin, Detroit; olindetroit.com

Bagel shop 

1^st New York Bagel

various locations;  newyorkbagel-detroit.com 

2^ndDetroit Bagel Factory

Livonia; detroitbagel.net 

3^rdEastside Bagel

St. Clair Shores;  eastsidebagel.com  

Other finalists:

James Oliver Coffee Co., Detroit; jamesolivercoffee.com

Jersey Bagel Deli & Grill, various locations; jerseybagel.com

I am positive that New York Bagel is the single greatest bagel-selling establishment I will ever have the pleasure of eating at.

–Jack Tierney, Hazel Park 

Bakery (bread)

1^st Crispelli’s Bakery

Royal Oak;  crispellisbakery.com 

2^ndAvalon International Breads

Ann Arbor, Detroit; avalonbreads.net  

3^rdVince & Joe’s Gourmet Market

Clinton Township, Shelby Township;  vinceandjoes.com 

Other finalists:

Dakota Bread Co., West Bloomfield; friendshipcircle.org/dakotabread

Bakery (desserts) 

1^st Astoria Pastry Shop

Detroit, Royal Oak;  astoriapastryshop.com 

2^ndSister Pie

Detroit;  sisterpie.com 

3^rdCannelle by Matt Knio

Birmingham, Detroit;  cannellebirmingham.com 

Other finalists:

Culinary Combo Bakery, Southfield; theculinarycombo.com

Vince & Joe’s Gourmet Market, Clinton Township; Shelby Township;  vinceandjoes.com 

White Wolf Japanese Patisserie, Clawson; whitewolfbakery.com

Bar food

1^st One-Eyed Betty’s

Ferndale;  oneeyedbettys.com 

2^ndHopcat

Ann Arbor, Detroit;  hopcat.com 

3^rdBronx Bar

Detroit;  facebook.com/bronx-bar-detroit 

Other finalists:

Grand Trunk Pub, Detroit; grandtrunk.pub

Mt. Chalet II, Royal Oak; mtchaletroyaloak.com

The Side Bar, Royal Oak; thesidebarroyaloak.com

Barbecue restaurant

1^st Slows Bar BQ

Detroit;  slowsbarbq.com  

2^ndBad Brad’s BBQ

various locations; badbradsbbq.com 

3^rdUnion Woodshop

Clarkston;  unionwoodshop.com  

Other finalists:

Arkins Sweet BBQ Pit, Southfield; arkinsbbq.com

Woodpile BBQ, Clawson, Madison Heights; woodpilebbqshack.com

Burgers (classic)

1^st Red Coat Tavern

Royal Oak, West Bloomfield;  redcoat-tavern.com 

2^ndMercury Burger & Bar

Detroit;  mercuryburgerbar.com 

3^rdHunter House Hamburgers

Birmingham;  hunterhousehamburgers.com 

Other finalists:

Bronx Bar, Detroit; facebook.com/bronx-bar-detroit

Luxe Bar & Grill, Birmingham, Grosse Pointe; luxebarandgrill.com

The Morrie, Birmingham, Royal Oak; themorrie.com

Burgers (specialty)

1^st Green Dot Stables

Detroit, Lansing; greendotstables.com 

2^ndVinsetta Garage

Berkley;  vinsettagarage.com 

3^rdBasement Burger Bar

various locations;  basementburgerbar.com 

Other finalists:

Mercury Burger & Bar, Detroit; mercuryburgerbar.com

Royale With Cheese, Detroit; royalewithcheese.menu

Cafe 

1^st Commonwealth Café

Birmingham;  gocommonwealth.com 

2^ndThree Cats

Clawson;  threecatscafe.com 

3^rdThe Congregation

Detroit;  thecongregationdetroit.com  

Other finalists:

Eos Cafe & Coffee House, St. Clair Shores; eoscoffeehouse.com

Kresge Court, Detroit; dia.org/visit/dining-shopping

Astoria [Pastry Shop] — best chocolate pecan turtles. Consistently great over 20 years.”

—Becky McCabe, Plymouth

Cheap Eats

Bucharest Grill

Detroit, Royal Oak; bucharestgrill.com 

2^ndLeo’s Coney Island

various locations; leosconeyisland.com 

3^rdLafayette Coney Island

Detroit;  facebook.com/lafayette-coney-island  

Other finalists:

Green Dot Stables, Detroit; greendotstables.com 

Kerby’s Koney Island, various locations; kerbyskoneyisland.com

Chinese restaurant

1^st Mon Jin Lau

Troy;  monjinlau.com 

2^ndShangri-La

Detroit, West Bloomfield; midtownshangri-la.com 

3^rdThe Peterboro

Detroit;  thepeterboro.com 

Other finalists:

China Cafe, Novi; chinacafenovi.com

Hong Hua Fine Chinese Dining, Farmington Hills; honghuafinedining.com

Coffee shop

1^st The Great Lakes Coffee Roasting Co. 

various locations; greatlakescoffee.com  

2^ndDessert Oasis Coffee Roasters

various locations;  docr.coffee  

3^rdThe Red Hook

Ferndale, Detroit;  theredhookcoffee.com 

Other finalists:

Birmingham Roast, Birmingham; drinkroast.com

Sabbath Coffee Roasters, Clawson; sabbathcoffeeroasters.com

Selden Standard — we delight in dining in the outdoor patio amid a garden of fresh herbs and greens that the restaurant incorporates into delicious dishes with tantalizing flavors. 

—Bonita Bohl, Birmingham

Coney Island

1^st Lafayette Coney Island

Detroit;  facebook.com/lafayette-coney-island   

2^ndLeo’s Coney Island

various locations;  leosconeyisland.com 

3^rdNational Coney Island

various locations;  nationalconeyisland.com  

Other finalists:

Greek Islands Coney Restaurant, various locations; greekislandsconey.com

Lipuma’s Coney Island, Rochester; lipumasconeyisland.com

Cookies

1^st Detroit Cookie Co.

Ann Arbor, Ferndale;  detroitcookieco.com 

2^ndAvalon International Breads

Ann Arbor, Detroit;  avalonbreads.net  

3^rdFor the Love of Sugar

Detroit;  fortheloveofsugar.com 

Other finalists:

Culinary Combo Bakery, Southfield; theculinarycombo.com

D’Vine Cookies, various locations; dvinecookies.com

Dessert (restaurant)

1^st San Morello

Detroit;  sanmorello.com 

2^ndChartreuse Kitchen & Cocktails

Detroit;  chartreusekc.com 

3^rdOak & Reel

Detroit;  oakandreel.com 

Other finalists:

Amadeus Restaurant, Ann Arbor; amadeusrestaurant.com

Chive Kitchen, Farmington; chivekitchen.com 

Diner

1^st Whistle Stop Diners

Birmingham, Pleasant Ridge;  whistlestopdiners.com 

2^ndO.W.L.

Royal Oak;  owlwoodward.com 

3^rdRose’s Fine Food and Wine

Detroit;  rosesfinefood.com 

Other finalists:

Charlie’s Restaurant, Madison Heights; charliesmadisonheights.com

Karl’s, Detroit; karlsdetroit.com

Monty’s Grill, Royal Oak; montys-grill.business.site

Vik’s Diner, Fraser; viksdiner.com

Donuts

1^st Donut Cutter

Berkley;  facebook.com/donutcutter1  

2^ndKnapp’s Donuts

Rochester, Troy;  facebook.com/knappsdonuts 

3^rdDonut Bar & Coffee

Southfield, Livonia;  donutbardetroit.com 

Other finalists:

Apple Fritter Donut Shop, Ferndale; facebook.com/fritterman

Daily Dozen Doughnuts, various locations; dailydozendoughnuts.com

Farm-to-table restaurant

Selden Standard

Detroit;  seldenstandard.com  

2^ndSylvan Table

Sylvan Lake;  sylvantable.com 

3^rdChartreuse Kitchen & Cocktails

Detroit;  chartreusekc.com 

Other finalists:

Coriander Kitchen and Farm, Detroit; corianderkitchenandfarm.com

Marrow, Detroit; marrowdetroit.com

Fast/casual restaurant

1^st Kouzina Greek Street Food

Royal Oak;  gokouzina.com 

2^ndEstia Greek Street Food

Troy, Warren;  goestia.com  

3^rdIggy’s Eggies

Detroit;  iggyseggies.com 

Other finalists:  

Isla Detroit, Sterling Heights; isladetroit.com

Penny Red’s, Detroit; pennyreds.com

Food truck

1^st The Lobster Food Truck

Dearborn; thelobsterfoodtruck.com 

2^ndEstia Greek Street Food

various locations;  goestia.com    

3^rdHero or Villain

Detroit;  heroorvillaindeli.com 

Other finalists:  

Canal Side Pizza, St. Clair Shores; canalsidepizza.com

Satellite, Ferndale; satellitehospitality.com

French fries

1^st Hopcat

Ann Arbor, Detroit;  hopcat.com 

2^ndTownhouse

Birmingham, Detroit;  eatattownhouse.com 

3^rdSocial Kitchen and Bar

Birmingham; socialkitchenandbar.com  

Other finalists:

Brown Iron Brewhouse, Royal Oak, Washington Township; browniron.com

Dime Store, Detroit;  eatdimestore.com 

Matt & Mo’s Italian Beef, Hazel Park; mmitalianbeef.com

Stage Deli, West Bloomfield; stagedeli.com

Gluten-free menu

1^st Como’s Pizza

Bloomfield, Ferndale;  comosrestaurant.com 

2^ndCommonwealth Café

Birmingham; gocommonwealth.com 

3^rdBrown Iron Brewhouse

Royal Oak, Washington; browniron.com  

Other finalists:

Planthropie, Birmingham; planthropie.com

Renee’s Gourmet Pizzeria, Troy; reneesgourmetpizzeria.com

Rumi’s Passion, Plymouth; rumispassion.com

Shimmy Shack, Plymouth; shimmyshack.com

Greek restaurant

1^st Pegasus Taverna

Detroit, St. Clair Shores;  pegasustavernas.com 

2^ndHoney Tree Grille

various locations; honeytreegrille.com 

3^rdEstia Greek Street Food

various locations;  goestia.com  

 Other finalists:

Greek Islands Coney Restaurant, various locations; greekislandsconey.com

Big Tommy’s Parthenon, Novi; bigtommys.com

Ice cream shop

1^st Ray’s Ice Cream

Royal Oak;  raysicecream.com 

2^nd Erma’s Original Frozen Custard

various locations;  ermascustard.com  

3^rdTreat Dreams

Detroit, Ferndale;  facebook.com/treatdreams313 

Other finalists:

Cold Truth, Detroit; coldtruthsoftserve.com

Clark’s Ice Cream, Berkley; clarksicecreammi.com

Huddle Soft Serve, Detroit; huddle-softserve.com

Indian restaurant

Priya Indian Cuisine

Troy;  priyacuisine.com 

2^nd Neehee’s Indian Vegetarian Street Food

Canton, Troy;  neehees.com 

3^rdDetroit Masala

Detroit;  detroitmasala.com 

Other finalists:

Main Street Kitchen, Clawson; ordermainstreetkitchen.com

Pink Garlic Indian Cuisine, Oak Park; pinkgarlicmi.com

Italian restaurant

Da Francesco’s Ristorante & Bar

Shelby Township; dafrancescos.com 

2^nd Shewolf Pastificio & Bar

Detroit;  shewolfdetroit.com 

3^rdAndiamo

various locations;  andiamoitalia.com 

Other finalists:

Antonio’s Italian Cuisine, Sterling Heights; antoniositaliancuisine.com

Bacco Ristorante, Southfield; baccoristorante.com

Giovanni’s Ristorante, Detroit; giovannisristorante.com

Oak & Reel, Detroit; oakandreel.com  

San Morello, Detroit;  sanmorello.com 

Japanese restaurant

1^st Noble Fish

Clawson;  noblefish.com 

2^ndKyoto Japanese Steakhouse

Royal Oak;  kyotoroyaloak.com 

3^rdIma

Detroit, Madison Heights;  imanoodles.com  

Other finalists:

Adachi, Birmingham; adachirestaurant.com 

Edo Ramen House, Royal Oak;  edoramenhouse.com 

Ronin Sushi, Royal Oak;  roninsushi.com 

Kid-friendly restaurant

1^st Buddy’s Pizza

various locations; buddyspizza.com  

2^ndNational Coney Island

various locations; nationalconeyisland.com  

3^rdSeva

Ann Arbor, Detroit; sevarestaurant.com 

Other finalists:  

Great Baraboo Brewing Co., Clinton Township; greatbaraboo.com

Zao Jun New Asian, Bloomfield Township; zaojunnewasian.com

Zeoli’s Modern Italian, Clawson; zeolisitalian.com

Oak & Reel truly blew me away as not just one of the best new restaurants but also one of the best restaurants in the metro Detroit area.

—Sally Askar, Detroit 

Latino restaurant (other than Mexican)

1^st Vicente’s Cuban Cuisine

Detroit;  vicentesdetroit.com  

2^ndEl Guanaco

Auburn Hills, Troy; elguanacotroy.com 

3^rdBarda

Detroit;  bardadetroit.com 

Other finalists:

Culantro, Ferndale; culantro.square.site

Garrido’s Bistro, Grosse Pointe Woods; garridosbistro.com

Late-night eatery

1^st Lafayette Coney Island

Detroit;  facebook.com/lafayette-coney-island  

2^ndO.W.L.

Royal Oak;  owlwoodward.com 

3^rdLeo’s Coney Island

various locations; leosconeyisland.com 

Other finalists: 

Detroit One Coney Island, Detroit; facebook.com/detroit-one-coney-island

Telway Burger, Detroit, Madison Heights; facebook.com/telwayhamburgers

Mediterranean restaurant

1^st Anita’s Kitchen

various locations; anitaskitchen.com   

2^ndLa Saj Lebanese Bistro

Sterling Heights, Troy;  lasaj.com 

3^rdPhoenicia

Birmingham; phoeniciabirmingham.com 

Other finalists:

House of Falafel, Farmington Hills; houseoffalafelmi.com

Leila, Detroit; leiladetroit.com

Mexican restaurant

1^st Mexican Village

Detroit, Utica; mexicanvillagefood.com 

2^ndEl Charro 

various locations;  elcharrousa.com 

3^rdMi Pueblo Mexican Restaurant

Detroit;  mipueblorestaurant.com 

Other finalists:

Juan Miguel’s, Clinton Township; juanmiguels.com

Mex, Bloomfield Hills; mex-restaurants.com

Sagebrush Cantina, Fenton, Lake Orion; mysagebrushcantina.com

Middle Eastern restaurant

1^st La Saj Lebanese Bistro

Sterling Heights, Troy;   lasaj.com 

2^nd Sahara Restaurant & Grill

various locations;  newsahara.com 

3^rdPhoenicia

Birmingham;  phoeniciabirmingham.com 

Other finalists:  

Cedarland, Dearborn; cedarlanddearborn.com

Pita Cafe, Oak Park; thepitacafe.com

New restaurant 

1^st Oak & Reel

Detroit;  oakandreel.com 

2^ndSylvan Table

Sylvan Lake;  sylvantable.com 

3^rdOlin Bar & Kitchen

Detroit;  olindetroit.com 

Other finalists:   

Barda, Detroit;  bardadetroit.com 

Freya, Detroit; freyadetroit.com

Isla Detroit, Sterling Heights; isladetroit.com

Outdoor dining

1^st La Dolce Vita

Detroit;  ldvrestaurant.net 

2^ndBrown Iron Brewhouse (Washington)

Washington;  browniron.com

3^rdIma

Detroit, Madison Heights;   imanoodles.com 

Other finalists:  

Adachi, Birmingham; adachirestaurant.com 

Casa Pernoi, Birmingham; casapernoi.com

Oysters

1^st Tom’s Oyster Bar

Royal Oak;  tomsoysterbar.com 

2^ndVoyager

Ferndale;  voyagerferndale.com 

3^rdOak & Reel

Detroit;  oakandreel.com 

Other finalists:

Hazel’s, Birmingham; eatathazels.com

Mink, Detroit; minkdetroit.com

Pet-friendly restaurant

1^st Detroit Shipping Co.

Detroit;  detroitshippingcompany.com  

2^ndBobcat Bonnie’s

various locations; bobcatbonnies.com  

3^rdThe Ferndale Project

Ferndale;  ferndaleproject.com 

Other finalists:  

Como’s Pizza, Bloomfield Township, Ferndale;  comosrestaurant.com 

Detroit Fleat, Ferndale; detroitfleat.com

Pho

1^st Ima

Detroit, Madison Heights;  imanoodles.com 

2^ndPho Lucky

various locations;  pholucky.net  

3^rdQue Huong

Madison Heights  

Other finalists: 

Got Pho, Ferndale; gotphoferndale.com

Pho Tai, Madison Heights

Pie

1^st Sister Pie

Detroit;  sisterpie.com  

2^ndAchatz Handmade Pie Co.

various locations; achatzpies.com 

3^rdGrand Traverse Pie Co.

various locations;  gtpie.com

Other finalists:

Ackroyd’s Scottish Bakery, Redford; ackroydsbakery.com

Culinary Combo Bakery, Southfield; theculinarycombo.com

Vince & Joe’s Gourmet Market, Clinton Township, Shelby Township;  vinceandjoes.com 

Zingerman’s Bakehouse, Ann Arbor; zingermansbakehouse.com

Pierogi

1^st Polish Village Café

Hamtramck;  polishvillage.cafe  

2^ndPietrzyk Pierogi

Detroit;  pietrzykpierogi.com  

3^rdSrodek’s Campau Quality Sausage Co.

Hamtramck, Sterling Heights;  srodek.com 

Other finalists:

Amadeus Restaurant, Ann Arbor; amadeusrestaurant.com

Christine’s Cuisine, Ferndale; christinescuisineinc.com

Dobre Pierogi, Shelby Township; dobrepierogi.com

The Little Pierogi & Crepe Kitchen, Wyandotte; pierogicrepekitchen.com

Pizza (Detroit-style)

1^st Buddy’s Pizza

various locations; buddyspizza.com 

2^ndJet’s Pizza

various locations; jetspizza.com 

3^rdLoui’s Pizza

Hazel Park; facebook.com/louispizza 

Other finalists: 

Como’s Pizza, Bloomfield Township, Ferndale;  comosrestaurant.com 

Michigan & Trumbull, Detroit; michigantrumbullpizza.com

La Saj — great Lebanese food like my mom used to make. Delicious and healthy. I love it!

— Michele Sunday, Sterling Heights 

Pizza (thin-crust)

1^st Supino Pizzeria

Detroit;  supinopizzeria.com 

2^ndCrispelli’s Bakery & Pizzeria

various locations;  crispellis.com 

3^rdTomatoes Apizza

various locations; tomatoesapizza.com  

Other finalists:

Brooklyn Pizza, Birmingham; thebrooklynpizza.com

Mootz Pizzeria & Bar, Detroit; mootzpizzeria.com

Polish restaurant

1^st Polish Village Café

Hamtramck;   polishvillage.cafe   

2^ndPolonia Restaurant

Hamtramck;  polonia-restaurant.net 

3^rdVal’s Polish Kitchen

Rochester;  valspolishkitchen.com  

Other finalists:

Amadeus Restaurant, Ann Arbor; amadeusrestaurant.com

Lakeside Family Restaurant, Sterling Heights; lakesidefamilyrestaurant.com

Polonus Restaurant, Wyandotte; facebook.com/polonus-restaurant

Wawel Royal Castle Polish Bar & Restaurant, Troy; americanpolishcenter.com/restaurant

Pop-up restaurant

1^st Frame

Hazel Park;  framehazelpark.com   

2^ndVal’s Pizza

Detroit;  valspizzadetroit.com 

3^rdChef Dunny

Detroit; @chefdancingdunny

Other finalists:

Basil Babe, Ann Arbor; basil-babe.com

Fried Chicken and Caviar, Detroit; friedchickenandcaviar.com

Khana, Detroit; facebook.com/khanadetroit

Ramen

1^st Ima

Detroit, Madison Heights;  imanoodles.com 

2^ndJohnny Noodle King

Detroit;  johnnynoodleking.com 

3^rdEdo Ramen House

Royal Oak;  edoramenhouse.com 

Other finalists:

Slurping Turtle, Ann Arbor; slurpingturtle.com

Urban Ramen, Detroit; urbanramen.com

Restaurant (Livingston County)

1^st Mexican Fiesta

Hartland;  mexicanfiesta.net 

2^ndBrighton Bar & Grill

Brighton;  brightonbarandgrill.com 

3^rdThe Silver Pig Bar & Oyster Room

Howell;  thesilverpig.com 

Other finalists:

Diamonds Steak & Seafood, Howell; diamondshowell.com

The Fuel, Brighton; discoverthefuel.com

Sushi Zen, Brighton; sushizenusa.com

Tomato Brothers, Howell; tomatobros.com

Restaurant (Macomb County)

1^st Da Francesco’s Ristorante & Bar

Shelby Township; dafrancescos.com 

2^ndAndiamo

Warren;  andiamoitalia.com 

3^rdJ. Baldwin’s

Clinton Township; jbaldwins.com 

Other finalists:  

Bar Verona, Commerce Township, Washington; barverona.com

Isla Detroit, Sterling Heights; isladetroit.com

Korea Palace, Sterling Heights; facebook.com/koreapalace

Steakhouse 22, Shelby Township; steakhouse22.net

Testa Barra, Macomb Township; testabarra.com

The tasting menu [at Mabel Gray] is always complex and delicious. The staff is genuinely happy to be there, and you can feel at home while melting into your Wagyu. 

– Andria Kaiser, Royal Oak 

Restaurant (Oakland County)

1^st Mabel Gray

Hazel Park; mabelgraykitchen.com 

2^ndSylvan Table

Sylvan Lake;  sylvantable.com 

3^rdTallulah Wine Bar & Bistro

Birmingham;  tallulahwine.com  

Other finalists:  

Adachi, Birmingham; adachirestaurant.com 

Bella Piatti, Birmingham; bellapiattirestaurant.com

Casa Pernoi, Birmingham; casapernoi.com

Chive Kitchen, Farmington; chivekitchen.com 

Restaurant (Washtenaw County)

1^st Zingerman’s Roadhouse

Ann Arbor; zingermansroadhouse.com 

2^ndGandy Dancer

Ann Arbor; gandydancerrestaurant.com 

3^rdFrita Batidos

Ann Arbor;  fritabatidos.com 

Other finalists:

Amadeus Restaurant, Ann Arbor; amadeusrestaurant.com

Cardamom, Ann Arbor; cardamoma2.com

Detroit Street Filling Station, Ann Arbor; thelunchrooma2.com/detroit-street-filling-station-1

Wolverine State Brewing Co., Ann Arbor; wolverinebeer.com

Restaurant (Wayne County)

1^st Selden Standard

Detroit;  seldenstandard.com   

2^ndPrime & Proper

Detroit;  primeandproperdetroit.com  

3^rdShewolf Pastificio & Bar

Detroit;  shewolfdetroit.com 

Other finalists:

Chartreuse Kitchen & Cocktails, Detroit;  chartreusekc.com 

Leila, Detroit; leiladetroit.com

Oak & Reel, Detroit;  oakandreel.com  

San Morello, Detroit;  sanmorello.com 

Restaurant for breakfast

1^st The Original Pancake House

various locations; originalpancakehouse.com 

2^ndToast

Birmingham, Ferndale; eatattoast.com 

3^rdBreakfast Club

Madison Heights, Royal Oak; facebook.com/breakfastmadison  

Other finalists:

Dime Store, Detroit;  eatdimestore.com 

Whistle Stop Diner, Birmingham, Pleasant Ridge; whistlestopdiners.com

Restaurant for brunch

1^st Toast

Birmingham, Ferndale; eatattoast.com  

2^ndBobcat Bonnie’s

various locations;  bobcatbonnies.com

3^rdDime Store

Detroit;  eatdimestore.com 

Other finalists:

The Morrie, Birmingham, Royal Oak; themorrie.com

San Morello, Detroit;  sanmorello.com 

Restaurant to take a client

1^st Grey Ghost Detroit

Detroit;  greyghostdetroit.com  

2^ndSan Morello

Detroit;  sanmorello.com 

3^rdOak & Reel

Detroit;  oakandreel.com 

Other finalists:

Adachi, Birmingham; adachirestaurant.com 

Bacco Ristorante, Southfield; baccoristorante.com

Out of all the places on the list, Grey Ghost is my favorite. I love their seasonal and creative menu.

—Amanda Ayoub, Dearborn Heights

Restaurant with a view

1^st Joe Muer Seafood (Renaissance Center)

Detroit;  joemuer.com 

2^ndHighlands

Detroit;  highlandsdetroit.com 

3^rdParc

Detroit;  parcdetroit.com 

Other finalists:

The Rattlesnake Club, Detroit; rattlesnakedetroit.com

Wright & Co., Detroit; wrightdetroit.com

Romantic dining

1^st The Whitney

Detroit;  thewhitney.com 

2^ndCafé Cortina

Farmington Hills;  cafecortina.com 

3^rdSan Morello

Detroit;  sanmorello.com 

Other finalists:  

Highlands, Detroit; highlandsdetroit.com

Leila, Detroit; leiladetroit.com

Oak & Reel, Detroit; oakandreel.com

Sandwich shop

1^st Zingerman’s Delicatessen

Ann Arbor;  zingermansdeli.com 

2^ndMudgie’s Deli & Wine Shop

Detroit;  mudgiesdeli.com 

3^rdSteve’s Deli

Bloomfield Hills; stevesdeli.com 

Other finalists:

Chadd’s Bistro, Rochester Hills; chaddsbistro.com

Ernie’s Market, Oak Park; erniessandwichshop.com

Oak House Deli, Royal Oak; oakhousedeli.com

Rocco’s Italian Deli, Detroit; roccosdetroit.com

Zingerman’s is one of those rare places that is worth every tiny scrap of hype and press it’s given. 

– Will McCool, Pontiac

Seafood restaurant

1^st Joe Muer Seafood

Bloomfield Hills, Detroit;  joemuer.com 

2^ndVoyager

Ferndale;  voyagerferndale.com 

3^rdOak & Reel

Detroit;  oakandreel.com 

Other finalists:

Hazel’s, Birmingham; eatathazels.com

Streetside Seafood, Birmingham; streetsideseafood.com

Shawarma

1^st Bucharest Grill

Detroit, Royal Oak;  bucharestgrill.com 

2^ndAnita’s Kitchen

various locations; anitaskitchen.com  

3^rdMr. Kabob Xpress

various locations;  mrkabob.com 

Other finalists:

Al Ameer, Dearborn, Dearborn Heights; alameerrestaurant.com

House of Falafel, Farmington Hills; houseoffalafelmi.com

Sahara Restaurant & Grill, various locations; newsahara.com

Soul food restaurant

1^st Detroit Vegan Soul

Detroit;  detroitvegansoul.com 

2^ndDetroit Soul

Detroit;  detroitsoul.net 

3^rdBaker’s Keyboard Lounge

Detroit;  facebook.com/bakers-keyboard-lounge  

Other finalists:

Chef Greg’s Soul “N” the Wall, Detroit; facebook.com

Cornbread Restaurant & Bar, Southfield; cornbreadsoulfood.com

Motor City Soul Food, various locations; motorcitysoul2go.com

Savannah Blue, Detroit; savannahbluedetroit.com

Special-occasion restaurant

1^st The Whitney

Detroit;  thewhitney.com 

2^ndMabel Gray

Hazel Park; mabelgraykitchen.com 

3^rdSan Morello

Detroit;  sanmorello.com 

Other finalists:

Cafe Cortina, Farmington Hills; cafecortina.com

Chive Kitchen, Farmington; chivekitchen.com 

Oak & Reel, Detroit;  oakandreel.com

Tonia’s Victorian Rose, Rochester; toniasvictorianrose.com

Steakhouse

1^st Prime & Proper

Detroit; primeandproperdetroit.com 

2^ndClawson Steakhouse

Clawson;  clawsonsteakhouse.com 

3^rdLondon Chop House

Detroit;  thelondonchop.com 

Other finalists:

Lucky’s Prime Time, Rochester Hills; luckyssteakhouse.com

Steakhouse 22, Shelby Township; steakhouse22.net

Sushi

1^st Noble Fish

Clawson;  noblefish.com   

2^ndRonin Sushi 

Royal Oak;  roninsushi.com 

3^rdMon Jin Lau

Troy;  monjinlau.com 

Other finalists:

Adachi, Birmingham; adachirestaurant.com 

Edo Ramen House, Royal Oak;  edoramenhouse.com 

Maru, Detroit; marusushi.com

Tacos

1^st Taqueria El Rey

Detroit; facebook.com/taqueria-el-ray

2^ndImperial

Ferndale;  imperialferndale.com 

3^rdEl Charro

various locations; elcharrousa.com 

Other finalists:

Detroit Taco Co., various locations; detroittaco.com

Tu Taco Tienda Mexicana, Madison Heights; tutacotienda.smartonlineorder.com

Whiskey Taco Foxtrot, Clawson; whiskeytacofoxtrotclawson.com

My favorite on this list is Taqueria El Rey. I drive from over an hour away for their chicken and tacos. They treat you like family when you’re there.

—Amy Wooldridge, Howell 

Takeout spot

1^st Bucharest Grill

Detroit, Royal Oak; bucharestgrill.com 

2^ndDetroit Wing Co.

various locations; detroitwingco.com 

3^rdBrown Iron Brewhouse

Royal Oak, Washington; browniron.com

Other finalists:

Chive Kitchen, Farmington; chivekitchen.com 

Edo Ramen House, Royal Oak;  edoramenhouse.com 

Zao Jun New Asian, Bloomfield Township; zaojunnewasian.com

Thai restaurant

1^st Sy Thai

St. Clair Shores;  sythai.com   

2^ndBangkok 96 Restaurant

Dearborn;  bangkok96.com 

3^rdTakoi

Detroit;  takoidetroit.com 

Other finalists:

Khom Fai Thai Dining Experience, Macomb; khomfai.com

Pi’s Thai Cuisine, Hazel Park; pisthai.net

Sala Thai, Sterling Heights; salathai.us

Shin Thai, Royal Oak; shinthai.com

Vegan/vegetarian restaurant

1^st Seva

Ann Arbor, Detroit; sevarestaurant.com 

2^ndInn Season Cafe

Royal Oak; theinnseasoncafe.com 

3^rdChive Kitchen

Farmington; chivekitchen.com 

Other finalists:

Aratham Gourmet To Go, various locations; aratham.com

Wings

1^st Chicken Shack

various locations; chickenshack.com 

2^ndAnita’s Kitchen

various locations; anitaskitchen.com  

3^rdBrown Iron Brewhouse

Royal Oak, Washington; browniron.com

Other finalists:

City Wings, Detroit; citywingsinc.com

Coop Caribbean Fusion, Detroit; coopdetroit.com

Detroit Wing Co., various locations; detroitwingco.com

Sweetwater Tavern, Detroit, Southfield; sweetwatertavern.net

>>Back to the top

Community & Personalities

Author

1^st Mitch Albom

 mitchalbom.com  

2^ndKristy Robinett

 kristyrobinett.com 

3^rdJimmy Doom

 jimmydoom.substack.com 

Other finalists:

Brian Bartes, brianbartes.com

Jim Benton, jimbenton.com

Josh Malerman, joshmalerman.com

Robert Beatty, robertbeattyart.com

Bartender 

1^st Roxanne Phillips, The Peterboro

Detroit;  thepeterboro.com 

2^ndJacob Feitler, Oak & Reel

Detroit;  oakandreel.com 

3^rdJimmy Doom, Small’s

Hamtamck;  smallsbardetroit.com  

Other finalists:

Kyle Joseph, Flood’s Bar & Grille, Detroit; floodsdetroit.com

Pamela Allard, Liberty Bar & Poutinerie, Pontiac; thelibertybar.com

Chef 

1^st James Rigato, Mabel Gray

Hazel Park;  mabelgraykitchen.com 

2^ndAnthony Lombardo, Shewolf Pastificio & Bar

Detroit; shewolfdetroit.com 

3^rdLuciano DelSignore, Bacco Ristorante and Casa Pernoi

Southfield, Birmingham;  baccoristorante.com , casapernoi.com 

 Other finalists:

Andrew Carmellini, San Morello, Detroit;  sanmorello.com 

Angelo Loria, Vince & Joe’s Gourmet Market, Clinton Township, Shelby Township;  vinceandjoes.com

Jared Gadbaw, Oak & Reel, Detroit;  oakandreel.com  

Suzy Silvestre, Chive Kitchen, Farmington; chivekitchen.com 

Community activist

1^st Lori Goldman, Fems for Dems

 femsfordems.org  

2^ndChantel Watkins, One Fair Wage Michigan

 onefairwage.site  

3^rdRev. Charles Williams II, National Action Network Michigan

 nationalactionnetwork.net 

Other finalists:  

Jae Bass, Detroit Will Breathe; detroitwillbreathe.info

Jeff Hocking, Congregation of Every 1; coe1.org

Jewan Price, Eastside Mutual Aid; facebook.com/eastsidemutualaid

Nicholas Buckingham, Michigan Liberation; miliberation.org

Community organization

1^st Bees in the D

Detroit;  beesinthed.com 

2^ndFriendship Circle

West Bloomfield;  friendshipcircle.org 

3^rdLiving and Learning Enrichment Center

Northville;  livingandlearningcenter.org  

Other finalists:

Congregation of Every 1, Detroit; coe1.org

Eastside Mutual Aid, Detroit; facebook.com/eastsidemutualaid

NGS Cares, Detroit; facebook.com/groups

Services to Enhance Potential, various locations; stepcentral.org

Local politician

1^st Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan 

2^ndU.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, Michigan’s 13th congressional district

3^rdU.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, Michigan’s 12th congressional district

Other finalists:

Brett Nicholson, Pontiac Councilman

David Coulter, Oakland County Executive

U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, Michigan’s 11th congressional district

Mark Hackel, Macomb County Executive

Meteorologist (local)

1^st Dave Rexroth, WXYZ Detroit

 wxyz.com   

2^ndAndrew Humphrey, WDIV Local 4

 clickondetroit.com   

3^rdPaul Gross, WDIV Local 4

 clickondetroit.com  

Other finalists:

Alan Longstreet, Fox 2 Detroit; fox2detroit.com

Derek Kevra, Fox 2 Detroit; fox2detroit.com

Newspaper (local)

1^st Detroit Free Press

 freep.com 

2^ndThe Detroit News

 detroitnews.com 

3^rdMacomb Daily

 macombdaily.com 

Other finalists:

Grosse Pointe News, grossepointenews.com

The Jewish News, thejewishnews.com

Michigan Chronicle, michiganchronicle.com

The Spinal Column, spinalcolumnonline.com

Opinion columnist

1^st Mitch Albom, Detroit Free Press

 freep.com 

2^ndTerry Foster, The Detroit News

 detroitnews.com 

3^rdNolan Finley, The Detroit News

 detroitnews.com 

Other finalists:

Brian Dickerson, Detroit Free Press; freep.com

Ingrid Jacques, USA Today, formerly at The Detroit News; usatoday.com

Leonard Pitts, Detroit Free Press; freep.com

Organization for people with disabilities

1^st Friendship Circle

West Bloomfield;  friendshipcircle.org  

2^ndJudson Center

various locations;  judsoncenter.org  

3^rdLiving and Learning Enrichment Center

Northville;  livingandlearningcenter.org 

Other finalists:

Dutton Farm, Rochester; duttonfarm.org

JVS+Kadima (previously JVS Human Services), Southfield; jvshumanservices.org

Services to Enhance Potential, various locations; stepcentral.org

Work Skills Corp., Brighton; wskills.com

Philanthropist

1^st Dan Gilbert, the Gilbert Family Foundation

 gilbertfamilyfoundation.org 

2^ndDenise Ilitch, Ilitch Companies

 ilitchcompanies.com

3^rdMat Ishbia, United Wholesale Mortgage

 uwm.com  

Other finalists:

Karen Davidson, William Davidson Foundation; williamdavidson.org

John and Marlene Boll, John A. & Marlene L. Boll Foundation; bollfoundation.org

Lois Shaevsky, The Shaevsky Family Foundation; nonprofitlight.com

Nicole Eisenberg, Nicole and Stephen Eisenberg Family Foundation; intellispect.co

Radio DJ

1^st Trudi Daniels, 106.7 WLLZ

 1067wllz.iheart.com 

2^ndRob Stone, 99.5 WYCD

 audacy.com/wycd  

3^rdHolly Hutton, 99.5 WYCD

 audacy.com/wycd  

Other finalists:

DJ BJ, Hot 107.5; hothiphopdetroit.com

DJ Ramz in the Mix, facebook.com/djramzinthemix

Devin Scillian has been a trusted newsman for our family for years. His compassion, kindness, and honest reporting are obvious and ever so appreciated. He demonstrates humility and humor while demonstrating hope and ethical behavior!” 

—Sheila Henderson, South Lyon

Radio host

1^st Mojo, Channel 955

 channel955.iheart.com   

2^ndJay Towers, 100.3 WNIC

 wnic.iheart.com  

3^rdMike Valenti, 97.1 The Ticket

 audacy.com/971theticket 

Other finalists:

Dave Hunter, 101 WRIF; wrif.com

Holly Hutton, 99.5 WYCD; audacy.com

Radio news reporter (local)

1^st Charlie Langton, WWJ News Radio 950

 fox2detroit.com 

2^ndTony Ortiz, WWJ News Radio 950

 detroit.cbslocal.com 

3^rdCynthia Canty, Michigan Radio

 michiganradio.org 

Other finalists:

Brooke Allen, WKAR Public Media; wkar.org

Roberta Jasina, WWJ Newsradio 950; audacy.com

Stephen Henderson, WDET 101.9 FM; wdet.org

Social media influencer

1^st Darren McCarty

@realdarrenmccarty  

2^ndSeoung Lee

 @chowdowndetroit

3^rdSarah Hermiz 

@sarahhermiz 

Other finalists:

Farrah Davidson, @londonhadalittlelamb

Jaclyn Misch, @jaclynmisch 

Jessica Haze, @jessicahazemua

Pam Ferrara, @pams_random_reviews

Sports reporter (local)

1^st Brad Galli, WXYZ Detroit

  wxyz.com 

2^ndJennifer Hammond, Fox 2 Detroit

 fox2detroit.com 

3^rdMitch Albom, Detroit Free Press

 freep.com 

Other finalists:

Justin Rose, WXYZ Channel 7; wxyz.com

Terry Foster, 97.1 The Ticket; audacy.com

Sportscaster (local)

1^st Bernie Smilovitz, WDIV Local 4

 clickondetroit.com  

2^ndDan Miller, Fox 2 Detroit

 fox2detroit.com 

3^rdMike Valenti, 97.1 The Ticket

 audacy.com/971theticket 

Other finalists:

Neal Ruhl, Oakland Golden Grizzlies; goldengrizzlies.com

Steven MacDonald, Detroit Titans; detroittitans.com

Teacher

1^st James Pecar, Chippewa Valley High School

Clinton Township; chippewavalleyschools.org 

2^ndDarrin Winkler, Pierce Elementary School

Birmingham;  birmingham.k12.mi.us  

3^rdZach Rondot, Costello Elementary School

Troy; costello.troy.k12.mi.us 

Other finalists:

Brian Peterson-Roest, Musson Elementary School, Rochester; musson.rochester.k12.mi.us

Corinne Lyons, Sampson Webber Leadership Academy, Detroit; detroitk12.org

Kevin Ozar, North Farmington High School, Farmington Hills; farmington.k12.mi.us

Robert Hart, Ernest W. Seaholm High School, Birmingham; birmingham.k12.mi.us

Tour company

1^st The Detroit Bus Co.

Detroit;  thedetroitbus.com  

2^ndDetroit History Tours

Detroit;  detroithistorytours.com 

3^rdCity Tour Detroit

Detroit;  citytourdetroit.com  

Other finalists:

Detroit Experience Factory, Detroit; detroitexperiencefactory.org

Detroit History Club, Detroit; detroithistoryclub.com

RiDetroit, Detroit; ridetroit.com

Traffic reporter

1^st Kim DeGiulio, WDIV Local 4 

 clickondetroit.com  

2^ndKellie Rowe,  Fox 2 Detroit

 fox2detroit.com 

3^rdAli Hoxie, WXYZ Detroit

  wxyz.com   

TV news anchor (local)

1^st Devin Scillian, WDIV Local 4

 clickondetroit.com    

2^ndRhonda Walker, WDIV Local 4

 clickondetroit.com  

3^rdRoop Raj, Fox 2 Detroit

 fox2detroit.com 

Other finalists:

Ameera David, WXYZ Detroit; wxyz.com

Karen Drew, WDIV Local 4; clickondetroit.com 

TV news reporter (local)

1^st Karen Drew, WDIV Local 4

 clickondetroit.com  

2^ndMaurielle Lue, Fox 2 Detroit

 fox2detroit.com 

3^rdKim DeGiulio, WDIV Local 4

 clickondetroit.com  

Other finalists:  

Ameera David, WXYZ Detroit; wxyz.com

Kellie Rowe, Fox 2 Detroit; fox2detroit.com

Veronica Meadows, Fox 2 Detroit; fox2detroit.com

>>Back to the top

Retail

Antique shop

1^st Vintage Eastern Market

Detroit;  vintageem.com 

2^ndOdd Fellows Antiques

Berkley;  oddfellowsantiques.com 

3^rdTime Warp

St. Clair Shores;  timewarp-vintage.com 

Other finalists:

Judy Frankel Antiques, Troy; judyfrankelantiques.com

Retro Image, Dearborn; facebook.com/retroimageantiques

Appliance shop

1^st ABC Warehouse

various locations;  abcwarehouse.com 

2^ndSargent Appliance

various locations;  sargentappliance.com 

3^rdWitbeck Home Appliance Mart

West Bloomfield;  witbeckappliance.com 

Other finalists:  

Bill & Rods, Livonia; billandrodsappliance.com

Specialties Showroom, Berkley; michigan.kitchen

Auto dealership (group)

1^st The Suburban Collection

various locations; suburbancollection.com 

2^ndLaFontaine Automotive Group

various locations; familydeal.com 

3^rd  Szott Auto Group

various locations; szottauto.com 

Other finalists:  

Matick Automotive Group, Redford; matickchevy.com 

Tamaroff Auto Group, Roseville, Southfield; tamaroff.com

Auto dealership (individual)

1^st Bill Brown Ford

Livonia;  billbrownford.net 

2^ndSerra Whelan Chevrolet

Sterling Heights; serrawhelan.com 

3^rdDorian Ford

Clinton Township; dorianford.com 

Other finalists:

Bowman Chevrolet, Clarkston; bowmanchevy.com

George Matick Chevrolet, Redford; matickchevy.com

Beer selection (store)

1^st Holiday Market

Royal Oak;  holiday-market.com  

2^ndVince & Joe’s Gourmet Market

Clinton Township, Shelby Township;  vinceandjoes.com 

3^rdRed Wagon Shoppe

various locations;  redwagonshoppe.com  

Other finalists:  

8 Degrees Plato, Detroit; 8degreesplato.com

Collect, Detroit; collect-beerbar.com

Off the Wagon, Clawson; facebook.com/offthewagonmarket

The Wine Garden, St. Clair Shores, Sterling Heights; thewinegardenscs.com

Bike shop

1^st Detroit Bikes

Detroit; detroitbikes.com 

2^ndDowntown Bike Shop

Detroit, Ferndale; downtown-bikeshop.com 

3^rdKLM Bike & Fitness

Birmingham, Rochester Hills; klmfitness.com 

Other finalists:

Al Petri and Sons, Woodhaven; petribikes.com

American Cycle and Fitness, various locations; americancycleandfitness.com

Bikes, Blades & Boards, Grosse Pointe Park; bikesbladesandboards.com

Bookstore

1^st John K. King Used and Rare Books

Detroit, Ferndale; johnkingbooksdetroit.com 

2^ndBook Beat

Oak Park;  thebookbeat.com 

3^rdLiterati Bookstore

Ann Arbor;  literatibookstore.com 

Other finalists:

Coreander’s Children’s Bookshoppe, Grosse Pointe Park; coreanderschildrensbookshoppe.com

Pages Bookshop, Detroit; pagesbkshop.com

Source Booksellers, Detroit; sourcebooksellers.com

Bridal salon

1^st The Wedding Shoppe

Berkley;  theweddingshoppe.net  

2^ndRoma Sposa

Birmingham;  romasposa.com 

3^rdGina’s Bridal Boutique

Milford;  ginasbridal.com 

Other finalists: 

Ashley & Alexandria’s Bridal Boutique, Southfield; ashleyandalexandriasbridal.com

Katerina Bocci Bridal, Shelby Township; katerinaboccibridal.com

Butcher shop/deli

1^st Vince & Joe’s Gourmet Market

Clinton Township, Shelby Township;  vinceandjoes.com 

2^ndStage Deli

West Bloomfield;  stagedeli.com 

3^rdMarrow

Detroit;  marrowdetroit.com    

Other finalists:  

Farm Field Table, Ferndale, Grosse Pointe Park; farmfieldtable.com

The Village Butcher, Milford; villagebutchershoppe.com

I love For the Love of Sugar! The vegan and gluten-free options provide us an opportunity to provide high-end treats for all of those in our family! 

—Victoria Burton, Warren

Cake shop

1^st For the Love of Sugar

Detroit;  fortheloveofsugar.com 

2^ndLove & Buttercream

Birmingham;  loveandbuttercream.com 

3^rdVince & Joe’s Gourmet Market

Clinton Township, Shelby Township;  vinceandjoes.com 

Other finalists:  

Elite Sweets, Livonia; getelitesweets.com

Holiday Market, Royal Oak; holiday-market.com

Sweet Heather Anne, Ann Arbor; sweetheatheranne.com

Candy store

1^st Sanders

various locations;  sanderscandy.com  

2^ndBon Bon Bon

various locations;  bonbonbon.com 

3^rdDoc Sweets’ Candy Co.

Clawson;  docsweets.com 

Other finalists: 

American Bulk Food, West Bloomfield; americanbulkfood.net

Mrs. Mason’s Co., Royal Oak; mrsmasons.com

Spun Sugar Detroit, South Lyon; spunsugardetroit.com

The Bulk Store, Taylor; shopthebulkstore.com

Cannabis dispensary (recreational)

1^st Liv Cannabis

Ferndale, livcannabis.com 

2^ndHouse of Dank

various locations,  shophod.com  

3^rdNew Standard

Ann Arbor, Hazel Park;  anewstandard.com 

Other finalists:  

Puff Cannabis Co., various locations; puffcannaco.com

Quality Roots, various locations; getqualityroots.com

Chocolate/chocolatier

1^st Sanders

various locations;  sanderscandy.com  

2^ndBon Bon Bon

various locations;  bonbonbon.com 

3^rdBirmingham Chocolate

Ferndale;  birminghamchocolate.com 

Other finalists:

Alpine Chocolat Haus, Plymouth; alpine-chocolat-haus.com

Mrs. Mason’s Co., Royal Oak; mrsmasons.com

Zoet, Rochester; zoet-belgian.com

Cider mill

1^st Blake’s Orchard & Cider Mill

Armada;  blakefarms.com

2^ndYates Cider Mill

Lake Orion, Rochester Hills; yatescidermill.com 

3^rdFranklin Cider Mill

Bloomfield Hills; franklincidermill.com 

Other finalists:

Parmenter’s Northville Cider Mill, Northville; northvillecider.com

Spicer Orchards, Fenton; spicerorchards.com

Cigar shop

Churchill’s Cigar Bar

various locations; churchillscigarbar.com 

2^ndWild Bill’s Tobacco

various locations; wildbillstobacco.com 

3^rdThe Godfather Cigar Martini Bar

Rochester Hills; facebook.com/tgfcigarmartini

Other finalists:

Ambassador Cigars & Spirits, Troy; ambassadorcigar.com

Hill & Hill, Grosse Pointe; facebook.com

Robusto’s, Sterling Heights; robustoscigarbar.com

Clothing and accessory resale

1^st Regeneration

Pleasant Ridge;  regenerationclothing.org  

2^ndDéjà Vu Upscale Designer Resale

Franklin;  dejavuresale.com 

3^rdEldorado General Store

Detroit;  eldoradogeneralstore.com 

Other finalists:

Leah’s Closet, Royal Oak; leahsclosetroyaloak.com