Here in metro Detroit, there’s been a lot going on in the dining world, including a few notable restaurant closures, some new openings, and even a new option for omakase dining. Here are some of the latest happenings since we last checked in.
Street Beet Plans to Open Soon in Corktown
Street Beet, a Detroit pop-up supplying vegan comfort food like smashburgers and “Crunchywraps” with walnut chorizo is finally getting a permanent location in Corktown, the restaurant announced in a press release. It will occupy 1800 Michigan Ave., which was home to Bobcat Bonnies’ flagship location for 10 years until its sudden closure earlier this month. In the meantime, Street Beet will continue service at Third Street Bar in Midtown. The new Street Beet location, which has not yet announced an official opening date, plans to serve breakfast, lunch, dinner, and brunch seven days a week with full-service dining as well as a walk-up window. Its drinks program will be mocktail-heavy, and the restaurant plans to feature regular events like game nights and DJing. Additionally, Washed Up Coffee, a new multi-roaster coffee concept, will be joining Street Beet in the space.
Star-Studded Gala with local James Beard Honorees Announced for May
Since the James Beard Foundation Awards’ 1990 inception, the organization nicknamed the “Oscars of food” has bestowed 78 honors to individuals and establishments in Michigan — including 14 awards. An event called “Michigan Dinner of the Decade” is celebrating that history on May 30 at the Country Club of Detroit in Grosse Pointe Farms. The gala will be hosted by Jimmy Schmidt, a James Beard awardee and the former owner of Detroit’s now-closed Rattlesnake Club. A camera crew will be on site documenting for Keith Famie’s upcoming Detroit PBS film Detroit: The City of Chefs II, set to premiere this fall.
It will feature dishes prepared by chefs from James Beard-honored restaurants. So far, the lineup includes Javier Bardauil (Barda, Puma), Doug Hewitt (Freya, Chartreuse), Colin Campbell (Alpino), Anthony Lombardo (SheWolf), Sarah Welch (Marrow), Warda Bouguettaya (Warda Patisserrie), Omar Anani (Saffron de Twah), Mike Ransom (Ima), Takashi Yagihashi (formerly of Tribute), and Brian Poclyn. Madeline Triffon, the first American woman in history to become a Master Wine Sommelier, will be selecting wines for the event.
Tickets are $300, and proceeds benefit the James Beard Foundation, Schoolcraft College, and Oakland Community College’s culinary arts program. For more information, visit the event page.
What’s Happening with Rose’s Fine Food?
Before it closed in 2023, Rose’s Fine Food on Detroit’s east side operated for nine years, offering the charm of an old school diner with thoughtfully prepared breakfast and lunch fare made with locally sourced ingredients, as well as homemade bread and unique desserts like crybabys (potato donuts). It received critical acclaim, landing Bon Appetit’s 50 Nominees for Best New Restaurants list in 2015. It’s been absent for two years — but now, owner Molly Mitchell appears to be teasing something on Instagram.
“After a 2 year hiatus I’ve been working on reactivating this sweet diner space for the past few months,” Mitchell posted to Instagram on Feb. 24, with pictures of the diner’s interior. “I can’t say much about what things will look like but I can say I’m excited to see the garden bloom this spring!”
Mitchell did not return Hour Detroit’s request for comment so we can’t confirm much — but we’ll be keeping an eye out for more developments.
Seva Detroit Closes
Though Detroit is getting a new full-service vegan restaurant with Street Beet, it recently lost a longtime vegetarian staple. Seva Detroit closed its doors permanently on Feb. 28, after more than a decade of business. The restaurant cited financial difficulties that started during the pandemic as the reason it could no longer operate in a statement posted to Facebook.
Hiroki San Debuts Omakase Dining
Table side omakase is now available at Hiroki San, an upscale Japanese restaurant in the basement of Detroit’s Book Tower. Omakase — a restaurant tradition that originated in Japan and leaves the diner’s meal entirely up to the chef — is an option the restaurant has been eager to unveil since opening in January 2024, as Hour Detroit previously reported on when we last spoke to Chef de Cuisine Chris Vasquez. Hiroki San’s table side omakase experience includes a 12-course meal with 20 unique bites. An optional sake pairing can also be added on, typically featuring four to five sake pours of 2 to 4 oz each. This experience is available Tuesdays through Thursdays and costs $185 per person; the sake pairing is an additional $65 a head. Reservations can be made at Resy.com.
Hollywood Casino at Greektown Introduces New Chef Lineup
Prism — the steakhouse located inside Hollywood Casino at Greektown — announced it hired Richard Simmons, an industry veteran with over 36 years of experience as chef de cuisine earlier this month. Dedric McGhee, who’s been with the casino since June of 2024, was appointed executive chef for the entire property — including Prism, ESPN Bet, Monroe Market, and hotel banquets. McGhee is a winner of the prestigious AAA Four Diamond Award and boasts an impressive resume that includes working alongside Emeril Lagasse at his flagship restaurant in New Orleans.
Dirty Shake Opens near Wayne State University
A new neighborhood bar from the owners of Freya and Chartreuse opened in Detroit’s Cass Corridor on March 14. Dirty Shake serves boozy shakes like the Hummer (a Detroit invention) plus bar fare like burgers, veggie burgers, and smoked wings.
Two Michigan Beer Gardens Make USA Today’s Top 10 List
It’s no secret to Michiganders that we live in a world-class destination for brews — but national accolades are always a plus. USA Today editors and readers selected not one — but two — Michigan beer gardens for its 2025 list of the 10 best beer gardens in the U.S.
Just south of St. Joseph in Stevensville lies USA Today’s No. 3 pick Watermark Brewing Company, offering food trucks, regular live music, indoor golf, and even the option to have a wedding there. Hop Lot Brewing Co., in Sutton’s Bay was voted No. 2. The tree-lined, family-friendly beer garden on the Leelanau Peninsula is a popular place to unwind by a campfire during the summer and is even a hot winter destination, with heated igloos to keep out the snow.
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