Cornbread Restaurant & Bar on Northwestern Highway in Southfield serves Detroit soul food, the successor to Beans & Cornbread since 1997. GQ called it a new American classic.
Signature dishes: Fried chicken, Catfish
Must order: Fried chicken and waffles, the catfish dinner, and a slice of cornbread.
Tip: Closed Wednesdays. Sunday brunch with gospel runs from 11:30; book ahead.
Address: 29852 Northwestern Hwy, Southfield, MI 48034, Detroit
Mudgie's Deli & Wine Shop on Brooklyn Street in Corktown serves a New York-style deli with a Detroit wine list since 2008. Late-night menu runs through 22:00.
Signature: Hot pastrami, Reuben
Order: Hot pastrami on rye and a glass off the natural-wine list that doubles as a retail shop.
Tip: Patio is the prime summer seat; the wine shop will pour any bottle for $15 corkage with the meal.
Selden Standard on 2nd Avenue has anchored Cass Corridor seasonal cooking in Detroit since November 2014. Detroit Free Press Restaurant of the Year 2015 and USA Today nod 2024.
Signature: Wood-fired vegetables, Hand-cut pasta
Order: Wood-fired vegetable plate and whichever fresh pasta the kitchen is running that week.
Tip: Book two weeks out for weekend evenings. Bar seats hold space for walk-ins at 17:00.
Takoi on Michigan Avenue in Corktown serves modern Thai cooking in Detroit since March 2016. Chef-driven, neon-lit room that began as a food truck called Katoi.
Signature: Crispy rice salad, Whole-fried fish
Order: Crispy rice salad and the whole-fried fish with herbs.
Tip: Dinner only, Tuesday through Saturday from 16:00. Reservations open three weeks out.
San Morello inside the Shinola Hotel on Woodward serves Southern Italian wood-fired cooking in Detroit. Andrew Carmellini's NoHo Hospitality kitchen since 2018.
Signature: Wood-fired pizza, House-made pasta
Order: Margherita pizza from the wood oven and a plate of cacio e pepe.
Tip: Brunch runs weekends 10:00 to 14:00. Reservations on OpenTable; bar seats are first-come.
The Apparatus Room inside the Detroit Foundation Hotel on Larned Street serves New American cooking in a converted 1929 firehouse. Open since 2017.
Signature: Half chicken, House pasta
Order: The wood-roasted half chicken with seasonal vegetables and a glass of Michigan Riesling.
Tip: Breakfast runs from 07:00 daily. Dinner reservations recommended; the bar is open later.
Marrow in the Market on Riopelle Street is the Eastern Market butcher-and-brasserie concept from Ping Ho's Marrow Hospitality Group. Open in Detroit since November 2025.
Signature: Dry-aged steak, Whole animal cuts
Order: Dry-aged steak from the in-house butcher counter and a glass from the deep cellar.
Tip: Includes a butcher bar, City View Lounge and Capital Dining Room. Book through Tock for the dining room.
