Metro Detroit’s Top Food and Beverage News for January 2024

Find out what’s cooking at area eateries including Lady of the House, Grand River Brewery, and others this month.
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Grand River Brewery now occupies the former Pumachug and Black Lotus Brewing Co. space in downtown Clawson. // Photograph courtesy of Grand River Brewery

Metro Detroit is home to so many different and delish dining and drink options, and they are seemingly always bringing something new to their table. Here’s what some area bars and restaurants are up to this month.

Lady of the House Is Returning to Detroit

Lady of the House, an award-winning restaurant by chef-owner Kate Williams, is returning to Detroit in 2024. Its new location will be in the Core City neighborhood, which has become quite the restaurant hot spot (home to Detroit Institute of Bagels, Barda, Puma, and more).

Lady of the House was known for its Irish-inspired New American eats off an ever-changing seasonal menu featuring local ingredients.

Its Corktown location shut its doors in early 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The restaurant was a James Beard Award semifinalist two years in a row — for best new restaurant in 2018 and best chef in 2019. Williams received another best chef nod in 2022.

In the past few years, she also helped launch Candy Bar and co-founded the since-closed brunch joint Karl’s — both located inside The Siren Hotel.

Dutch Girl Donuts to Reopen this Spring

Dutch Girl Donuts, a longtime Detroit donut shop on Woodward and Seven Mile, plans to reopen under new ownership this spring after it closed in the summer of 2021.

The iconic bakery was purchased by Paddy Lynch, owner of Detroit’s historic bathhouse The Schvitz since 2017 and third-generation director of Lynch & Sons funeral homes.

Jon Timmer, who previously worked in the kitchen for over two decades, will be returning to confect the original pastry recipes just as customers remember them. He’s the grandson of 1947 founders John and Cecilia Timmer, and the son of former owners Gene and Lauren Timmer.

Grosse Pointe Couple Buys Notable Northern Michigan Hotels and Restaurants

Real estate owners Jon and Lauren Cotton of Grosse Pointe are buying up several northern Michigan hotels and restaurants previously owned by Stafford Hospitality, the couple announced in November 2023.

Their properties now include several restaurants along Lake Michigan’s Little Traverse Bay: Stafford’s Pier Restaurant, a Harbor Springs seafood spot; The Weathervane Restaurant, a longstanding Charlevoix lakeside bistro; and Petoskey’s Noggin Room Pub. The couple previously bought Hotel Iroquois on Mackinac Island in 2020.

Grand River Brewery Is Now Open in Clawson

A brewery founded a decade ago in Jackson opened a new downtown Clawson location in early December.

Grand River Brewery prides itself as a “farm to table, grain to glass operation,” featuring signature beers and spirits crafted in Jackson by head brewer Wyatt Andrew, like the Falcon Punch IPA and the La Boda, a Berliner Weisse.

The menu includes burgers and steaks made from locally butchered steer, plus house-baked breads, desserts, and more.

It’s located at 1 E. 14 Mile, which formerly housed Black Lotus Brewing Co. and Pumachug.

New Downtown Detroit Eatery Where Steaks Are … Sexy?

Sexy Steak is expected to open in downtown Detroit early this year. It’s housed in the Grand Army of the Republic Building, a historic castlelike structure recently mentioned in Hour Detroit’s November installment of The Way It Was.

The menu will include halal steak cuts, seafood, and more. The building will also house a more casual concept, Sexy Burger, which will offer Wagyu burgers, pasta, salads, and other options.

Downtown Birmingham’s Mad Hatter Bistro Gets a Makeover

The redesign and renovations for Bell Bistro (formerly the Mad Hatter Bistro) at 185 N. Old Woodward Ave. in Birmingham are nearly complete.

It will feature a whole new menu, with New American-style fare, beer, wine, and cocktails. The dining room will have 64 seats (including nine bar seats) and — hopefully — expanded outdoor seating.

Longtime Downriver Butcher Shop to Close Next Month

Ray’s Prime Foods, a long-beloved Taylor butcher shop on Eureka Road, expects to close Feb. 4 after 62 years of business. It was founded in Trenton in 1961 and once had a location in Ann Arbor’s Briarwood Mall.

Owner Brent Martyniak told the Detroit Free Press the decision came after the store struggled to compete with supermarket and retail prices.

Ray’s developed a reputation for selective sourcing and memorable service and even offered catering for large events like weddings.


This story is from the January 2024 issue of Hour Detroit magazine. Read more in our digital edition.