arts & life
out to eat
LEFT: Pop’s for Italian is designed for wine lovers. CENTER: Enjoy the warm, romantic glow at Pop’s. RIGHT: Entrance to the Daily Dinette.
Ferndale’s Finest:
Pop’s For Italian
& The Daily Dinette
I
s there an Italian dish out
pensing system easily visible from
there more comforting than
any seat in the house.
homemade pasta with hearty
While One-Eyed Betty’s caters
bolognese sauce? How about
to beer fans, Pop’s is designed for
fresh donuts right out of the
wine lovers. For those just easing
oven, served with a steaming
into wine, Pop’s extensive list even
cup of aromatic coffee?
describes whether each choice is
Metro Detroiters are now
full-, medium- or light-bodied.
blessed with both Italian and
One of the highlights are the $6
Allison Jacobs
American comfort food in one
5-oz. glasses of keg wine, includ-
convenient spot, thanks to one
ing a Sangiovese, Pinot Grigio
of the latest Ferndale restaurant
and Prosecco.
developments — Pop’s for Italian and its
A wine flight is yet another ideal option
sister restaurant the Daily Dinette.
at Pop’s. Diners can select a $5 flight fea-
The concept was brought to life by the
turing three of the keg wines or customize
Kramer Restaurant Group, which is also
their own.
the force behind the ever-popular Rosie
The food menu is enticing, featuring
O’Grady’s and One-Eyed Betty’s.
slight tweaks on typical crowd-pleasers,
Separated by just a small hallway,
such as the calamari steak. As one of the
diners have the freedom to sample
most popular dishes on the menu, Pop’s
dishes and drinks from both Pop’s and the calamari is char-grilled rather than flash-
Dinette with ease.
fried, seasoned with hot cherry pepper,
Pop’s for Italian is the larger of the two,
aioli, capers and lemon.
with romantic, stringed lights and dimly
Another must-try is the burrata and
lit Edison bulbs casting a warm glow
prosciutto appetizer. The burrata is
throughout the space.
creamy and luscious and is served with a
The bustling kitchen is located toward
side of pillowy bread for dipping.
the back of the restaurant, granting guests
The Neapolitan pizzas are another spe-
a full view of the chefs as they toss salads
cialty at Pop’s and are substantial in size.
and roll pasta dough.
Trained pizza chefs fire up thin-crust pies
Its massive bar is a breathtaking sight,
at an epic rate, offering both gluten-free
with glimmering bottles stacked high and and standard flour-based pizzas topped
a high-tech wine preservation and dis-
with simple ingredients.
52 September 1 • 2016
Find a wide selection of donuts and great
coffee at the Daily Dinette.
Along with authentic Italian pizza,
Pop’s recently changed its pasta bolognese
recipe, swapping in thick, from-scratch
pappardelle noodles and a more tradi-
tional meat sauce.
The gnocchi is another crowd-pleasing
dish, served with rich cream, gorgonzola,
crumbled sausage and just a hint of spice
from red pepper flakes.
Seafood-savvy diners should also keep
an eye out for its rotating whole fish
served at market price.
While Pop’s recently began offering
weekend brunch and lunch, the Daily
Dinette has been dishing out diner-style
cuisine since February. Its doors are
open five days a week until 11 p.m., and
until 3 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays
for night owls.
Easily accessible from Pop’s or Nine
Mile, this charming spot has a playful
vibe, with whimsical lamps and a retro
pink backdrop along the community-style
booths.
The Daily Dinette has modern ele-
ments as well, with bright screens at the
front of the restaurant featuring the menu
on full display.
Bring some friends or a good book
and start out with a Nitro coffee. Brewed
inside of a keg and fueled with liquid
nitrogen, the coffee has a texture com-
parable to a Guinness, sans the alcohol
content.
For purist coffee drinkers, its brews and
lattes from the Ann Arbor-based Mighty
Good Coffee are sure to satisfy.
The Daily Dinette’s freshly baked
donuts are also displayed in a glass case
at the front in full view, irresistible to
anyone with even a slight hint of a sweet
tooth.
The Daily Dinette offers both tradi-
tional and wacky donut creations, includ-
ing the crowd-pleasing Homer Simpson
donut that resembles its cartoon counter-
part but tastes even better.
Donuts clock in at just 99 cents for a
single or $8.99 for a dozen, and most of
their dishes won’t add up to more than
$10.
The food menu may be brief, but the
dishes are filling. The breakfast bowls are
cooked to perfection day or night, and the
“taters” are just an extra bonus.
Health-conscious folks can always
opt for the Greek salad, but the extra fat
content in their dishes is well worth the
splurge.
No matter which door diners choose,
the Daily Dinette and Pop’s for Italian
have a major commonality — comforting
food at its finest.
*
The Daily Dinette (248-268-4783) and Pop’s for Italian
(248-268-4806) are located at 280 W. Nine Mile Road
(suites 1 and 2) in Ferndale.