Sala Thai: Eastern Market

If you’re looking to get your face punched in with heat and flavor, go no further than Sala Thai.  There are a few of these around town, but I prefer the Eastern market location, housed in an old firehouse.  It’s pretty much the same price as every other thai restaurant you’ve ever been to, but this one really does kick ass, and hard.  I like to roll with the “Kra Tiem Prik Thai”, which is basically garlic beef.  The top of the line heat will blow your doors off, in a good way.  Don’t worry, they keep the TsingTaos coming.

Sala Thai

3400 Russell St
Detroit, MI 48207
(313) 831-1302

Sala Thai is located just off I-75, near Eastern Market.

Polish Village Cafe

Polish Village Cafe is a reasonably priced polish restauarnt in Hamtramack.  Located in the basement of a house, it’s quaint and festive and comes equipped with weird polish servers, who are probably wondering what the fuck they are doing serving food in Detroit, while Poland is going thru a massive economic boon, producing a whole new class of nouveaux riche eastern Europeans.  But Detroit is cool too.  Also, the pierogies are amazing, as are the kielbasa, and they have ice-cold Zwiech (jiv-yets) dark beer.

2990 Yemans St
Hamtramck, MI 48212
(313) 874-5726

Polish Village Cafe is located in Hamtramack, just north of Detroit.

HyGrade Deli

The HyGrade Deli is one of Detroit’s great hidden gems.  Open for breakfast and lunch, they’ve got amazing corned beef, which is stored in an old-school steam drawer get-up behind the deli counter.  I strongly reccomend the “Meal in a Sandwich:” corned beef, swiss, cole slaw, russian dressing on Jewish rye.  If you’re there before 11:00am, you can get the corned beef hash, which can only be described as “boner city.”

Hygrade Restaurant & Deli

3640 Michigan Ave
Detroit, MI 48216-1009
(313) 894-6620

The HyGrade is located on Michigan Ave., just past the I-75 overpass on the north side of the street.

Motor City Brew Works

Pizza and beer?  Fuck yes it is.  Motor City Brew Works has been making kick ass beer for a decade and a half, and opened this restaurant a few years back.  It’s consistently excellent quality pizza and fantastic beer.  They even have an upstairs patio for when it’s not shitty out.  The salads are good too, but not in a “faggy” way.

Motor City Brewing Works Inc

470 W Canfield St
Detroit, MI 48201-1220
(313) 832-2700

MCBW is located on Canfield, a few blocks west of Woodward in Cass Coridor.

Le Petit Zinc

Le Petit Zinc is a small french restaurant that serves respectable French fare at extremely affordable prices.  The crepes are great, as are the sandwiches, and they all come with nice side salad.  The patio is a nice option, if that’s how you roll.  I personally enjoy sitting at the zinc bar.  Brunch for two usually ends up under $20 – money well spent.

Le Petite Zinc

1055 Trumbull St
Detroit, MI 48216-1938
(313) 963-2805

Zinc is located on Trumbull, just north of Lafayettte, just outside of Corktown.

Mario’s

Mario’s.  A Detroit institution.  The stereotypical old school italian restaurant, equipped with red and white checkered tablecloths and Old Blue Eyes on the stereo.  The type of place where people get strangled with a piano wire in the bathroom.  Or used to, anyways, back in the good old days.  It’s been pretty dead lately, since it’s relatively expensive.  However, as soon as you get there they serve you Italian bread and a beautiful plate of anitpasto, free of charge.  The filet is also dollar for dollar the best bet in Detroit.  And they’ve got a shuttle that will pick you up from the hotel and take you back.  So there’s that.

MARIO’S RESTAURANT

4222 2nd Ave, Detroit

(330) 266-4719

Mario’s is located in Cass Corridor, on Second Ave., south of Warren Ave., two blocks west of Woodward Ave.

Angelina Bistro

Angelina is an excellent Italian-ish restaurant, reasonably priced and very consistent in both quality of food and waitstaff.  Also, when the weather is nice, the windows retract so you can smell the bums.  Not really.  I recommend the Angelina plate, which is a lovely cutting board covered in cured meats, smoked fish, and other extremely kick ass fare.  Paired with a bottle of wine, it makes a great light dinner for two.  Fag.

Angelina’s Bistro Inc

1565 Broadway St
Detroit, MI 48226-2114
(313) 962-1355

Angelina is located in Grand Circus, across from Detroit Opera House.

The Bronx Bar

If you’re looking for surly waitstaff and dimly lit quarters to do a bit of afternoon drinking, then the Bronx is your spot.  A great juke box, cheap drinks and Ms. Pac Man / Multicade keep the Bronx filled with with pussies, douche bags and fag-ass-hipsters, but that’s okay, because the bloody mary bar (Saturdays and Sundays noon – 5:00) and almost uncannily high quality food more than makes up for it.

Bronx Bar

4476 2nd Ave
Detroit, MI 48201-1216
(313) 832-8464

Located just north of Mario’s on Second Ave. in Cass Corridor.