Co-owner and chef Tom Teknos shows off some of Hudson Café’s breakfast favorites. (Daniel Mears / The Detroit News)
Most of us have a tried-and-true spot, a destination where something about the food, setting and service combines to make us feel comfortable. We tend to head there without even giving a thought to something new. And that's good.
Still, there's a lot to be said for getting out of that comfort zone at least once in while to try a fresh and unfamiliar place.
Here are some suggestions for breaking out of the mold, based on visits that stand out as I look back at a year of dining out.
Within this list of 12 for 2012, you might just find a new favorite.
The Root Restaurant
340 Town Center Blvd., off M-59, White Lake Township, (248) 698-2400
A distinctive and concise menu emphasizing fresh local ingredients handled with respect and served from an open kitchen put White Lake Township on the dining map this year when the Root opened. Chef James Rigato and proprietor Ed Mamou's dedication to fresh extends to the juices and purees used in cocktails. Naturally raised beef is used for the burgers on house-made buns, as well as for the New York strip and rib-eye steaks. The main dishes are complete productions, with accompaniments compatible with the main ingredients. The kitchen always has something for vegetarians and vegans, too. Local farms and dairies are listed on the menu, and the woodsy setting is just right.
The Silver Spoon
6830 N. Rochester Road, Rochester Hills, (248) 652-4500, www.silverspoonristorante.com
The regional Italian restaurant tucked into a corner of the Papa Joe's Plaza is light and airy, lavished with copper, stained glass and a motif of silver spoons. The four proprietors, all Italian born, offer dishes from Puglia, Torino, Milano and other areas of their homeland, such as lamb ragout, medallions of veal Piemontese, porcini risotto and house-made pastas, including strozzapreti and cavatelli with sauces that seem to be applied with tiny paint brushes. The wine list emphasizes both Italy and California. Lots of Italian spoken here.
Bella Piatti
167 Townsend St., Birmingham, (248) 494-7110, www.bellapiattirestaurant.com
The bill of fare is in the hands of executive chef Dan Campbell, who is also involved in the kitchen at Mindy VanHellemont's other restaurant, Tallulah Wine Bar & Bistro nearby on Bates Street. It would be easy to put together an entire meal from the starters, including sliced cured meats from the appetizer bar in the center of the room. But then you might miss the pastas, neat little ensemble productions such as ribbons of trenette pasta with chanterelle mushrooms, corn and speck (seasoned Italian bacon), or orecchiette (little ears) with miniature meatballs made of lamb, with rapini as counterpart, or one of the meats from the wood grill and rotisserie. The rustic setting includes one communal table.
Joe Muer Seafood
400 Renaissance Center, Detroit, (313) 567-6837, www.joemuerseafood.com
The new version of the venerable seafood house is a contemporary pairing of simply prepared seafood with the addition of more elaborate preparations, including sushi. The river view through big windows, vintage paintings from the old Muer's and the big space broken up into cozier sections all combine to make the most of the setting. The menu is almost entirely seafood, from the raw bar piled with oysters, clams and crab legs to macadamia-crusted halibut, but there are a few meat dishes, as well.
Texas de Brazil
1000 Woodward Ave., Detroit, (313) 964-4333, www.texasdebrazil.com
The handsome room just off the soaring atrium in the Compuware Building offers skewers of flame-grilled beef, pork, chicken and sausages brought from table to table by the gaucho-dressed servers in endless quantities. To leaven all that meat, an appealing appetizer buffet allows guests to help themselves to everything from lobster bisque and grilled mushrooms to smoked salmon, marinated olives, hearts of palm in Brazilian vinaigrette, tissue-thin slices of prosciutto de Parma and much more. The aroma of fresh lime seems to permeate the room from all of the caipirinhas (classic Brazilian sugar cane cocktail) being sipped.
The Hudson Cafe
1241 Woodward Ave., Detroit, (313) 237-1000, www.hudson-cafe.com
Evoking the grand old name of the iconic department store that was once right across Woodward from this handsome spot is just part of the story. Inside, in a renovated and refreshed setting on the ground floor of a loft building, chef Tom Teknos and his partners turn out breakfast, brunch and lunch dishes that are impressive not only in their flair and creativity but also in their quality. From omelets and huevos rancheros to burgers topped with chipotle mayo, and, of course, the Maurice salad a la Hudson's, this is an asset to early-in-the-day dining in downtown Detroit.
Bad Brad's BBQ
35611 Green St., New Baltimore, (586) 716-9977, www.badbradsbbq.net
The local barbecue renaissance includes this 2-year-old spot in a free-standing building on New Baltimore's main street. Pulled pork, beef brisket and St. Louis ribs are smoked over hardwood for hours and served atop paper on metal trays to tables constructed of mismatched pieces of wood. Everything is house-made, including the sauces that range from sweet to spicy, cornbread, collard greens and mac and cheese. There's a touch of Tex-Mex in the bold flavor levels. Options include burgers and sliders.
Plaza Mexico
18322 E. Nine Mile, Eastpointe, (586) 777-8144
The menu offers what looks like the familiar lineup of popular Mexican dishes, but the difference is that everything is freshly prepared every day and has the aura of Mexican home cooking rather than the more commercial pile-on-the-cheese variety. Run by Felipe and Ana Rosa Hernandez and their daughters, it shows the care and dedication of the family effort. Among notable dishes are the well-textured guacamole, enchiladas in salsa verde, asada tacos and the satiny flan to finish off the meal. Few frills, but the well-prepared fare makes up for it.
Torino Espresso Bar
201 E. Nine Mile, Ferndale, (248) 247-1370, www.torinoespressobar.com
On the ground floor of a Ferndale loft building, it's much more than a place to grab a quick latte, though you may certainly do that if you wish. Torino is an interesting hybrid, part coffeehouse, part cocktail lounge and part restaurant with a menu of mostly sharable dishes from bruschetta, olive tapenade and roasted red pepper hummus to grilled sandwiches on Avalon bread. The contemporary setting includes poured concrete bar and tabletops, low-slung couches, as well as conventional tables, with eclectic background music and art.
Bistro 222
22266 Michigan Ave., Dearborn, (313) 792-7500, www.bistro222.com
The L-shaped room is something of an oasis, entered from the rear through a courtyard-style passageway. Although wine and beer are served, there is no bar, leaving the space for linen-covered tables surrounded by a collection of art. Single page menus offer a list of dishes that include pastas, some house-made, a few vegetarian selections, and a nice mix of seafood and meat choices all freshly garnished with vegetables and herbs. The quiet skill of chef/proprietor Michael Chamas keeps this 60-seat spot a haven for those who appreciate handcrafted fare.
Chef Ed's Weekday Cafe
16749 E. Nine Mile, Eastpointe, (586) 778-6433
From-scratch cooking and upbeat service characterize this tiny spot, with everything handled by chef Ed Shogren in the kitchen and his wife, Candace, in the front of the house. Specialties include eggs Benedict with house-made Hollandaise, hot turkey and Rueben sandwiches, and an array of soups from seafood chowder and garden vegetable to turkey Tetrazzini. Cakes, pies and bread pudding are just some of the desserts at this cheerful, unpretentious hideaway.
Rattlesnake Club
300 River Place Drive, Detroit (313) 567-4400, www.rattlesnakeclub.com
A fresh breeze is blowing through the riverside restaurant, where executive chef Chris Franz and chef de cuisine Jeff Lanctot are reaching out to a new audience with a focus on fresh, seasonal ingredients accompanied by a rewritten wine list. A simplified dinner menu offers small plates as well as two, three or four courses at $37, $47 and $57 respectively, served by a professional staff in a dining room filled with contemporary art.
(313) 222-1475
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