S

LYNNE MEREDITH COHN

STAFF WRITER

PHOTOS BY

DANIEL LIPPITT

Right: Memphis
Smoke: Smoky
atmosphere but
great music and
dancing.

Bottom: The R&J
Coffee Shop:
Royal Oak's top
spot for
atmosphere,
chow and
personality.

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The best undiscovered places to
hang out off Woodward in
Ferndale and Royal Oak.

almost tripped over the R&J Coffee
Shop on my way across the Fourth
Street railroad tracks in Royal Oak,
headed somewhere else. I think that's
how most people find it.
The decor is decidedly 1950s, the
food is basic diner. But the mood (and
the milkshakes) give this 52-year-old
joint its character. And that's what
going out in metro Detroit is all
about.
If you go strictly by appearance,
the gray six-or-so mile stretch of
Woodward Avenue encompassing
Royal Oak and Ferndale probably
won't entice you to a night on the
town. But you'll be missing out big
time.
Like hidden caves in the wilder-
ness, the coffee shops, bars, restau-
rants and stores of these northern
Detroit suburbs offer doorways to dif-
ferent worlds.
While Royal Oak has emerged in
recent years to the trendy main-
stream of Detroit night life, Ferndale

remains cloaked by the shady stig-
ma of some near-Woodward neigh-
borhoods. (In a way, that's lucky for
Ferndale merchants, as the low pro-
file has kept rents affordable.)
Carved out roughly around Wood-
ward and Nine Mile, Ferndale is the
last best secret of suburban social life.
The places are unique and political-
ly correct — a throwback to the '60s
perhaps, with a '90s awareness.
Food: First stop, Delia's, which
opens its doors at 6 a.m. (On the east
side of Woodward, just south of 9 1/2
Mile.)
Upscale menu, down-to-earth ac-
coutrements. High-maintenance
eaters relax — you can have it the
way you want it. French toast, no-
cholesterol egg white omelettes and
vegetarian breakfast sausage ride
shotgun to greasier food. Try Delia's
superb homemade raisin toast.
For lunch, either Marigolds (214

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