A Riad on S. Main
Abdu Saad says he designed his first restaurant to resemble a Moroccan riad, a villa alternative to conventional hotels, typically featuring courtyard oases with fountains, greenery, and ornate elegance.
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Dine
Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow
“I couldn’t have imagined that as a kid, I would have grown up here, and this would have been something my mom created and that I was able to take over. So I’m really proud of that. Not a lot of businesses make it this long.”
Read MoreHaifa Falafel Expands
Ali Usman was just twenty-two when he launched the fast-casual eatery Haifa Falafel in 2008. He had wanted to locate in Courtyard Shops near North Campus but was denied because another Middle Eastern restaurant was already there. He ended up in Glencoe Crossing on Washtenaw Ave.
Read MoreAnother Brother
In 2023, Esam Almulaiki brought a taste of New York City to North U with Bodega Bros, a twenty-four-hour deli and grill with an expansive menu. His new outpost at the opposite side of main campus, Halal Bros 2 Go, is much more streamlined.
Read MoreA+ Wagyu BBQ
Following up on his highly rated Chinese hot pot restaurant Palace Tang, Eric Zhou has opened another cook-at-your-table option nearby, A+ Wagyu BBQ.
Read MoreMisfit Society Coffee Club
It’s not just residents of the new Verve luxury student apartments who take advantage of its lounge-like lobby and coffee stand, Misfit Society Coffee Club.
Read MoreEnchanted Oven Returns
Enchanted Oven has returned to Saline, offering sourdough breads and lunch options in addition to à la carte and custom cakes, cookies, and other sweets.
Read MoreCommunity and Wine at Social Vines
Just east of Dexter, in a bucolic setting known for hosting increasingly popular Fourth of July fireworks shows, Lori and Brian Herron’s vision for Social Vines is bearing fruit.
Read MoreCD Top Shelf Expands to Chelsea
In September, hockey dad and entrepreneur Matthew Kavanaugh opened CD Top Shelf bar and grill in Arctic Breakaway’s former space upstairs in Chelsea’s ice arena. Kavanaugh says the restaurant will “focus on fresh,” and include pizzas, plus chopped sandwiches and salads.
Read MoreDexter Brunch House Replaces Dexter Riverview Cafe
A longtime breakfast and lunch destination is in new hands this year, and “we’ve been super busy since the day we opened,” says Nela Shahinllari. She manages the front of house, while her husband Enzo is the main chef at Dexter Brunch House. Nela, twenty-five, emigrated at age eighteen and soon met fellow Albanian native Enzo, whose family moved here when he was five.
Read MoreKing’s Keyboard House Takes a Bow
King’s Keyboard House, the city’s last remaining piano store, has closed after sixty-four years. Second-generation owner Jim King had hoped the business would continue in new hands, but he has retired and sold the building at 2363 E. Stadium, its home since 2008.
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White Lotus Grows a Café
The collaborative enterprise of the local Tsogyelgar Buddhist community is expanding into a new multifaceted storefront on Zeeb Rd., White Lotus Farms Café.
Read MoreRaising Cane’s Nabs a Prime South U Spot
Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers couldn’t have plucked a more prominent campus perch for its third Michigan store, number 935 overall for the privately held Baton Rouge–based chain.
Read MoreYemeni Coffee Comes to Campus
The surge of Yemeni coffee and tea shops has reached the campus area with Būn Chai, recently launched on the busy block of S. State between Liberty and North U.
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Work and Play at Recess Cafe
Thressa Nichols, a people operations professional who works remotely, decided to open the business she wanted to patronize. She and her husband, Zac Hodgkin, are launching Recess Cafe, where young children can play while their adults work or socialize while enjoying coffee, elevated snacks, and even wine and beer.
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A Paletería in Scio
The latest scoop from Scio Township: the ambitious Arreola brothers have added a Mexican paletería within Dos Hermanos Express.
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19 Drips Is Now Rotisserie King
Staffed entirely by relatives, Rotisserie King features traditional Middle Eastern preparations that may seem like everyday fare here, but even the basmati rice—cooked with tomatoes, onions, and garlic seasonings—is special-occasion food back home, Ebrahim says.
Read MoreBayt Almocha Opens on Catherine St.
A century-old building near Kerrytown has its first tenant since undergoing major renovations. Bayt Almocha is now the area’s fifth Yemeni coffee shop to open within the past few years. The name translates as “Mocha House,” and it’s not just an allusion to the beverage: founder Abdulla Alysofi and operating partner Rafed Al-Serri grew up near Mocha, the Red Sea port whose coffee exports gave mocha its name.
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Ji Hye Kim Adds a Little Kim
Ji Hye Kim’s upscale Korean restaurant, Miss Kim, has become hard to patronize without making a reservation. The chef-owner wants Little Kim to be “more approachable in both flavor and price point. I just wanted to serve more people.”
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