It looks like the company I work for is going to send me to Dearborn Michigan for a conference on the 27th. I am looking for recommendations for good local owned places to eat. Also it looks as the conference isn't going to start until 1 in the afternoon, anything I should see while I'm there to kill time?
You should see the Henry Ford Museum
Absolutely the Henry Ford & Greenfield Village. We were only there for two days and it wasn't nearly enough time. We also ended up eating at a nice steak place nearby that seemed to be rather old and I felt like I Should have been dressed better but I don't remember the name of it.
Buddys pizza
I haven't been there myself but all my coworkers swear Miller's Bar is the one place you must eat in Dearborn.
Henry Ford museum. Don't bother planning anything else.
bastomatic wrote: I haven't been there myself but all my coworkers swear Miller's Bar is the one place you must eat in Dearborn. Henry Ford museum. Don't bother planning anything else.
Miller's is very overrated, IMO.
Bangkok 96 for good Thai food. And of course there are lots of good middle eastern restaurants, though I can't think of any off the top of my head right now. It's been 8 years since I worked there.
I've got at least 3 cumulative days of wandering the Henry Ford Museum, I probably haven't really seen half of it.
Dearborn Coney Island on Telegraph Rd. has good (and cheap) breakfast (served 24/7), I recommend the omelettes. As the name suggests, they do an alright Detroit Coney dog too, if you've never had one.
Buddy's Pizza is good stuff too.
Following with interest. Going to be in Detroit for work (staying by the RenCen). Good things to eat nearby?
szeis4cookie wrote: Following with interest. Going to be in Detroit for work (staying by the RenCen). Good things to eat nearby?
They used to have an observation deck on the highest floor of The RenCen and then a high dollar restaurant up there too. I don't know if they still have the observation deck but if they do, it cool.
Tidbit: when standing at The RenCen and looking due South, all you can see is Canada. It's true, at that point, Canada is directly South of The US.
The RenCen is also next to the tunnel to Canada.
If you go south on the tunnel you come out in Canada.
If you go north on the tunnel you come out in USA.
There are almost too many places to recommend for eating in downtown and Midtown Detroit these days. Downtown, there's Roast, Wright & Co, Selden Standard, Parks and Rec diner, and for a dive I like the Ham Shop. The Ren Cen has Andiamo's on the top floor. The food is decent but the view is outstanding.
If the weather is OK the river walk is right in front of the Ren Cen.
Go up to Midtown and there's more bars than you can shake a stick at.
The observation deck is still a nice restaurant at the RenSen, but it no longer rotates. No so much down by the Ren Cen, but walk 10 mins to the main down and mid town area and there are hundreds of nice places. Don't listen to the reputation of Detroit. The biggest danger in mid town is being run over by a new $100K+ Rang Rover, Benz etc.
Tom_Spangler wrote:bastomatic wrote: I haven't been there myself but all my coworkers swear Miller's Bar is the one place you must eat in Dearborn. Henry Ford museum. Don't bother planning anything else.Miller's is very overrated, IMO. Bangkok 96 for good Thai food. And of course there are lots of good middle eastern restaurants, though I can't think of any off the top of my head right now. It's been 8 years since I worked there.
Millers is crap, totally undeserving of it's reputation. LaPita is great for middle Eastern food. Who's paying? IF on someone else dime head to Andiamo's for Italian or 'The Big Fish' for, well you guessed it seafood.
You are also only 20 mins from Detroit. CorkTown has Slow's BBQ which is excellent or if you want a way better burger than Millers go to the Mercury Burger bar, both a right by the beautiful but abandoned Michigan Central Station, you can't go into it, but it's worth a couple of pics outside.
I like Miller's and have been there many times but it is a place where someone should take you. Not so easy for first timers since they have so many unwritten rules.
You have to know where to stand if waiting for a table or the surly waitresses will give you grief. They only take cash! They expect you to know what you want since there is no menu or price list. There is even no written check or receipt unless you ask for one.
God forbid you should ask for grilled onion!
If you sit at the end of the bar and observe, you will see that the whole place is a sales tax and income tax dodge!
Only one person in the whole place runs the register. He knows the prices of the popular combinations. Most all transactions are never really rung up and since the place is cash only this leaves little proof of how much business they really do in a day/week/year. Hence, no bill or receipt left at the table.
New Yasmeen Bakery in East Dearborn.
More than just a bakery. Eat in or carry out.
East Dearborn is the Arabic capital of the US. This is a Lebanese bakery! The people of Lebanon are the best cooks of the Middle East/Mediterranean. I've been to Iraqi restaurants and they suck in comparison (I'm looking at you; Sahara Restaurant in Oak Park.)
If nothing else, go get some Baklava made the way that god (or maybe Allah) intended!
Can't go wrong with a Chicken Shwarma sandwich either.
Warren Ave is/(used to be) unique in that it is the only place in the US that I have been where the Arabic culture is so strong that business signs are written in Arabic first. Don't worry, if you are not familiar, you'll be openly welcomed and you'll be perfectly safe.
Also in Detroit, Supino Pizzeria, Lafayette Coney.
Another vote for Henry Ford. Took the family again just last week.
Laid back kinda places to eat:
Selden Standard-Midtown
Republic-great burger
Mercury Bar & Grill-great burgers
Slows BBQ-Corktown
Local-Ferndale
Crispelli's-Royal Oak
Vinsetta Garage-Royal Oak
Mexican Town area-authentic eats
Traffic Jam and Snug-Midtown
Jolly Pumpkin-Midtown
Higher end/fine dining:
Roast
Cuisine
London Chop House-cool old place great meal but $$$
Iridescence-Motor City Casino
Drinks/cocktails
Sugar House (next to Slows)
Oakland (Ferndale)
Cliff Bell's
Cliff Bell's is a great place to get cocktails and listen to jazz.
We should do the next GTG at Vinsetta garage
I hear its pricey, requires valet parking and reservations? Please correct me if i'm wrong.
Thanks for the replies guys! I just found out yesturday that I am going, not even sure where I am staying yet. I am assuming they will have me drive the 9 hours out, stay over the 26th, do the conference on the 27th, and then drive the 9 hours back on the 28th. So I should have time to try at least acouple places... if you think of any more let me know!
Al Shalal on Ford Road is middle eastern food and is fantastic. Bestest!
DrBoost wrote: Al Shalal on Ford Road is middle eastern food and is fantastic. Bestest!
Coming from a small town in Iowa... I can't say I have ever had middle east cuisine.
Gearheadotaku wrote: I hear its pricey, requires valet parking and reservations? Please correct me if i'm wrong.
It is pricey but it doesn't require valet parking nor reservations. It is popular and kind of small so reservations help avoid long waits. It does have a front engine dragster inside as part of the decorations.
Madhatr wrote:DrBoost wrote: Al Shalal on Ford Road is middle eastern food and is fantastic. Bestest!Coming from a small town in Iowa... I can't say I have ever had middle east cuisine.
It's actually very good. I LOVE the Galaya (I think it's spelled differently). The garlic butter is amazing, but you won't even want to smell your own breath after eating that 
Tom_Spangler wrote:bastomatic wrote: I haven't been there myself but all my coworkers swear Miller's Bar is the one place you must eat in Dearborn. Henry Ford museum. Don't bother planning anything else.Miller's is very overrated, IMO.
That was my thought. The burgers were fine, but not better (or as good) as I can make myself, and just average to me. They only take cash, but there was nothing telling you that. So when you drop a debit card they point to the ATM machine in the corner.....which has a $4 charge to use it!!
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