Food has been a staple of Hour Detroit’s content since the very beginning, but our Best New Restaurants feature didn’t make its debut until 2022. This popular feature is published biannually so that we have enough time to make an informed decision about the top 10 fine-dining restaurants.
You can read all about those restaurants, along with several casual eateries, by picking up a copy of Hour Detroit at a local retail outlet or via our digital edition. Here, I present a Q&A with the feature’s writers: food critic Serena Maria Daniels, senior editor Jack Thomas, and assistant editor Will Reaume.
Besides the research, what’s your favorite part of food writing?
JT: I like getting to know the people. So much goes into creating a great restaurant: creativity, cultural expression, athleticism, elbow grease, long hours, late nights. It’s a tough industry, but there’s a lot of reward for those who truly love it.
SD: Every story is an opportunity to learn about someone else’s traditions, sure, but it’s also led me on a path of my own self-discovery. Through reporting, I’ve been able to reconnect with parts of my Mexican identity that I didn’t get to fully experience growing up.
For any restaurant review, we look for exceptional food, ambiance, and service. Are they equal?
WR: Good food can almost always make up for poor service, but rarely does good service make up for bad food.
JT: Ambiance is great, but it only gets you so far. A restaurant might go viral because of an influencer video that shows how cool a place looks, but ultimately, if the food’s not great, people will catch on pretty quickly and feel duped.
What sets Detroit’s dining scene apart from that of other cities?
SD: Detroit’s dining scene is shaped by the many chefs, restaurateurs, and activists who are invested in the city’s future. They’re building businesses with their own money, in their own neighborhoods, and for the communities that have supported Detroit through its hardest years. That shows up in everything from thoughtful Motown-themed playlists, affordable tasting menus, and a genuine commitment to making every Detroiter feel welcome.
WR: Our pool of homegrown chefs. In other cities, like Chicago or New York, the best restaurants are largely helmed by transplants from around the world. It feels like the chefs here have a stronger connection to the region and a more vested interest in seeing Detroit’s dining scene grow, since many of them were born and raised here. There is less competition and more collaboration, which is a major benefit to both Detroit diners and restaurant owners.
Are chefs preparing for visits from Michelin inspectors for the guide book’s upcoming Great Lakes edition?
JT: To sum up what I’ve heard from the chefs, the best restaurants don’t need to do anything special to prepare; they deliver a consistent experience to everyone coming in, which is what the anonymous inspectors are trying to gauge.
This story originally appeared in the August 2026 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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