Royal Oak
F
or years, the only thing piercing
the sky in Royal Oak was the
painted water tower marking the
flora and fauna of the Detroit Zoological
Park. And technically, it's not in the heart
of town.
Today, though, it's a bird of a differ-
ent sort — construction cranes, that is,
— assembling a host of soft loft buildings
and condominium towers creating, for the
first time, a true Royal Oak skyline.
So it's only natural, then, that what's
happening closer to the ground is also
evolving, what with new shops and restau-
rants mingling effortlessly with longtime
favorites.
DINING
Opting to break bread in Royal Oak poses
one great challenge: there are so many
choices. The indecisive have been warned.
On the east side of Main Street, just
south of 11 Mile, Beirut Palace (105 S.
Main, 248-399-4600) tempts with flavors
of the Levant, as well as the conviviality
of sharing a post-meal water pipe with
friends on its popular patio.
Consider this block of Main Street a
6C
OCTOBER • 2007
main
STREETS
modern Silk Road as you trade your tab-
bouleh for tempura and the like at Katana
Nu Asian Steakhouse (111 S. Main,
248-591-9900), where the tableside chefs
entertain diners with spatula trickery, or
sushi at Little Tree (107 S. Main, 248-586-
0994).
Also calling this swath of Main Street
home is the come-as-you-are Comet
Burgers (207 S. Main, 248-414-4567)
for "sliders" and the urbane ambiance of
Andiamo Osteria (129 S. Main, 248-582-
9300).
Across the street, the barbecue and
live entertainment at Memphis Smoke
(100 S. Main, 248-543-4300) still draws
large crowds, while the vibe is much more
soothing next door at Sweetwater's (106
S. Main, 248-582-0518) where the coffee
and tea hit the spot every time.
Rounding out the mix, Monterrey
Cantina (312 S. Main, 248-545-1940)
spices things up with its upbeat approach
to south-of-the-border cuisine and Tom's
Oyster Bar (318 S. Main, 248-541-1186)
constantly satisfies with its daily fresh
catch and raw bar.
Book-ending Main Street on the south
-
is a relatively new trio of restaurants
similar in spirit but divergent in taste. The
twice-fried frites, creamiest of creamy
macaroni and cheese, steamed mussels
and other toothsome fare, as well rusti-
cally modern decor, at Bastone (419 S.
Main, 248-544-6250) was inspired by the
classic Belgian brasserie.
Sharing a roof and housemade beers,
the adjacent Café Habana (421 S. Main,
248-544-6225) offers a taste of that off-
limits island. The sandwiches are a must,
as is the addictive chimichurri sauce,
washed down with a cold Cervasa: house-
made blonde ale with chili pepper and
lime.
And flanking Bastone on the north is
the sophisticatedly appointed wine bar
Vinotecca (417 S. Main, 248-544-6256).
Indeed, as Main Street's "restaurant row"
attracts most of the crowds, nearby streets
shouldn't be ignored. A few blocks west
finds the friendly Lily's Seafood (410 S.
Washington, 248-591-5459) and authentic
tapas at Sangria (401 S. Lafayette, 248-
543-1964), where the namesake drink is
a must.
Finally, when that age-old Italian-ver-
sus-Chinese debate reaches a stalemate
— the comfortable D'Amato's (222 S.
Sherman, 248-584-7400) or longtime
downtown anchor Peking House (212 S.
Washington, 248-545-2700) for example
— agree to disagree and opt for a tasteful
trek at what is sure to be metro Detroit's
only Nepalese restaurant, Kathmandu
Chao (411 S. Washington, 248-546-
7286).
Coffee on the go is hardly the way to
start the day. Rather, make time to tuck
into the Parisian-inspired gem Café Muse
(317 S. Washington, 248-544-4749), where
the orange juice is fresh-squeezed and the
tempting fare is proof enough that break-
fast is the most important meal of the day.
Those with any eye to aesthetics will
enjoy a trio of stylistically sophisticated,
but far from stuffy spots: Oak City Grille
(212 W. Sixth, 248-556-0947) and the
recently opened Town Tavern (116 W.
Fourth, 248-544-7300) by Beverly Hills
Grill maestro Bill Roberts.
Outside the downtown core, and as dif-
ferent in food philosophy to one another
as day is to night, stand the vanguard of
vegetarian cuisine in Metro Detroit, Inn
Season Café (500 E. Fourth, 248-547-
7916), and a couple of spots vying for
the "best ribs in town" crown: Oxford
Inn (1214 S. Main, 248-543-5619) and
Vinsetta Grill (28028 Woodward, 248-
543-2626).
Finally, walk off a big meal and cure
a sweet tooth at the same time with a
stop for ice cream at Stucchi's (205 S.
Main, 248-336-9229), or Chicago-bred
newcomer Oberweis Ice Cream & Dairy
Store (304 N. Main, 248-336-0303), or the
oddly paired but surprisingly tasty pop-
corn and candy combinations from Dale
& Thomas Popcorn Company (304 S.
Main, 248-658-4000).
SHOPPING
The high concentration of independent
merchants in downtown Royal Oak means
the cookie-cutter styles found elsewhere
are an extinct breed in these parts.
For starters, there's Funky 7 (411 S.
Main, 248-398-6700) with its offbeat T-
shirts, the junior-focused Pitaya (211 S.
Main, 248-545-6666), the denim-centric
Chaud Jeans (414 S. Washington, 248-
399-3980) and of-the-moment retailer
American Apparel (405 S. Washington,
248-547-1904) for sublimely simple and
comfortable, logo-free American-made T-
shirts and casual wear.