Restaurants I Still Miss in or Near Detroit

This is a little sketch that I drew in watercolors and ink while parked downtown Detroit.

It has been over a year since my last post.  I moved back to Michigan, got married and then COVID happened.  My new husband is still under warranty; we are still enjoying each other.

Over the Last Five Years I Have Enjoyed Many Restaurants

Going back to Atlanta to visit is not on my list of to dos.  Since COVID, travel hasn’t been a thought.  Five years of Atlanta may be enough.  It was a blast, but they have almost as many grey days as Detroit and they tended to come in a row.  The mild winters were nice, but it seemed that mild winters were happening everywhere else too (if you don’t count the polar vortex of 2019).  My favorite thing about Atlanta was not all the fine places to eat, and things to do every weekend.  My favorite thing was that inclement weather would shut the whole city down.  Before the snow even hit the ground, they sent us home.

This started as a list of restaurants that I missed while I was living in Atlanta.  Now I am back in Michigan and I still miss most of them since the pandemic restrictions.

Restaurants Near Detroit That I Have Enjoyed

Whenever it turns out to be, I want to visit the following places for great food:

1. Bucharest: sells a very tasty, oversized and cheap chicken shawarma sandwich that is not authentic, but is delectable.  Now there are SIX locations, when I left there were only two.  Doordash delivers.  
2. Hot Taco: I have tried the blackened shrimp burrito and the fish burrito. They are both awesome.  The internet says they have closed permanently.
3. Zoup!: I miss them terribly!  The rotating soup menu is just what I need for variety.  I could eat there every day.  My favorite is the Crawfish and seafood étouffée.  The Detroit location is closed, but that’s OK because they were only open for lunch anyway; I am willing to drive to Southfield for the soup at Zoup!
4. Bangkok Crossing: Wonderfully awesome Thai food but you don’t want to go for the lunch rush.  A large crowd everyday is a good indication of excellence.  Then again since COVID hit, there may be no lunch rush at all.  Grubhub delivers.
5. Bangkok 96: Scrumptious Thai food that is worth putting up with limited parking and cramped dining. I like to get it to go.  It is not in Detroit, but if I am anywhere near there, I want to get Pad Se Ew with extra egg and shrimp or scallops.
6. Bangkok Café: This Thai food spot is outstanding. It is in Ferndale, but if I was anywhere near this spot, I would run and not walk.  There is superior Thai food nearby no matter what corner of Detroit you are in.  Grubhub delivers.
7. The Original Pancake House: I could have gone to the Atlanta location but I never did. Amazing breakfast food cooked from scratch.  Grubhub delivers.
8. Beans & Cornbread: This is another spot with cramped seating and over the years the portions had gotten extra small, but the food was exceptional. I have had almost every menu item and nothing disappoints.  If I want southern food that will always meet my expectations, this is the spot.  Grubhub delivers.

About the Drawing

We were patiently waiting downtown Detroit for a free Shari Vari concert until we realized we were FOUR hours too early.  I made this quick sketch from inside the parked car on Jefferson behind the main post office.