arts & life >> Out To Eat

Enjoy these local restaurants that
feature outdoor dining.

S

ummertime and the joys
of outdoor dining! Nothing
beats feeling the warmth of
the sun and looking at the bright blue
summer sky while enjoying food with
friends or family. Here we share just
a few of the places around town that
offer premiere outdoor dining.
El Barzon, 3710 Junction St.,
Detroit. El Barzon features Italian
cuisine and Cocina Poblana, cuisine
of Puebla in southern Mexico. It is
esteemed throughout Mexico but still
relatively uncommon in the United
States. Mole Poblano — a sauce made
with cacao, cinnamon and dried
chilis — is perhaps the most well-
known item, according to the restau-
rant's website.
Most dinner entrees are under $15.
If you want a seat on the weekends,
though, better make reservations.
(313) 894-2070, www.
elbarzonrestaurant.com.
Due Venti, 220 S. Main St.,
Clawson. Husband-and-wife chef
team David and Nicole Seals have
prepared a menu that features the
cuisine of northern Italy, such as
Manzo di Piedmontese, tender
Piedmontese filet of beef dusted with
ground espresso and grilled to order.
Paintings indoors and out are by Eva
Cafini-Theodoroff, the late grand-
mother of Chef Nicole. Every week,
the restaurant features a four-course

chef's tasting menu for $39 per per-
son. (248) 288-0220, www.
dueventidining.com .
Wasabi Japanese Steakhouse &
Sushi Lounge, 42050 Grand River
Ave., Novi. Wasabi Novi offers sushi,
hibachi steak and Japanese favorites
made using only premium ingre-
dients. It also offers a spectacular
Sunday brunch. Enjoy patio dining
and a separate gazebo with live music
on the weekends. (248) 962-3275,
sushinovi.com.
Bottlz, 31260 Wakefield, Novi,
is an upscale casual bistro offering
American cuisine and a full wine list,
featuring unique wines at reason-
able prices. Special events such as
wine tastings and chef's classes are
offered each Wednesday (reservations
required). (248) 519-4444, www.
bottlz-novi.com.
Crispelli's Bakery & Pizzeria,
6690 Orchard Lake Road, West
Bloomfield, is part bakery, part piz-
zeria, part Italian mercado that prides
itself on its "affordable gourmet"
cuisine.
The centerpiece of the restaurant is
a stone-fired oven that'll make a thin-
crust pizza in about 5 minutes. Enjoy
your pizza on the covered patio and
save room for dessert. All desserts are
just $2.95, including cobblers, canolis
and cheese cake. (248) 254-4760,
crispellis.com.

Wasabi Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi

Lounge

El Barzon

Crispelli's Bakery & Pizzeria

Due Venti

Bottlz

❑

News To U

DXF Checklist Challenge

Detroit's Campus Martius, home to sev-
eral of the restaurants on the Checklist
Challenge

40 June 4 • 2015

Do you think you've been to every bar or
restaurant Downtown? Join the Detroit
Experience Factory's (DXF) Checklist
Challenge and see what you've been miss-
ing. DXF is bringing back the Checklist
Challenge to inspire you to experience
the 303 bars and restaurants on DXF's
Downtown Bars and Restaurants checklist
(view at weknowdetroit.org).
"I'm a lifelong Detroiter, but there are
a lot of places I've never been. This was a
great opportunity to explore home says
Tania Mackey, the grand prize winner of
last summer's checklist challenge. Tania
visited 210 bars and restaurants on the

checklist during the first DXF challenge.
The Checklist Challenge is pretty simple:
the individual who visits the most places
on the checklist between June 1 and Sept.
1 will win the Ultimate Detroit Experience
Package valued at more than $1,000. There
will also be random winners selected
for prizes throughout the challenge, so
even if you visit one place you can be a
winner. Participants will have to post a
photo of themselves at the bar or restau-
rant on Instagram and use the hashtag,
#DXFchallenge.
For more details and to register, visit
wwwweknowdetroit.org/challenge.

Italian Festival

Who doesn't love Italian food? On Sunday,
June 7, the Italian American Cultural
Society will celebrate its 69th annual Festa
della Repubblica commemorating the
birth of the Italian Republic. Special guest
speaker for this event will be Anthony
Rugiero, restaurateur and president of
the Roman Village Cucina Italiana in
Dearborn, as well as Antonio's Cucina
Italiana in Dearborn Heights, Canton and
Farmington Hills and Antonio's Piccolo
in Livonia. The festival takes place from
2-8 p.m. at the Italian American Cultural
Society on Romeo Plank Road in Clinton
Township.

