30 | FEBRUARY 4 • 2021 

months and can, therefore, vouch for 
some of the best plating and portioning 
in the city.
Flowers of Vietnam’s fried tofu comes 
with a pile of tomatoes and crispy onions 
that you cannot make at home, on a bed 
of soft black rice. Ima’s Forest Udon 
and rice bowls travel surprisingly well, 
as do Poke Poke’s super fresh, mix and 
match-able bowls. Yum Village will 
deliver abundant portions of all their 
vegan offerings: maafe (peanut stew) with 
jollof rice, ginger curry chickpeas, plan-
tains, Brussels sprouts and African cheesy 
bread. 
An obvious disclaimer: I eat dairy out. 
For those who only eat from heckshered 
(certified kosher) restaurants, you can 
grab carryout on your way Downtown or 
pack a picnic to enjoy in your hotel room. 
If you’re OK with strictly vegan or vege-
tarian restaurants, I highly recommend 
(respectively) Detroit Vegan Soul and 
Seva. 
 
Or, grab an Igloo if you’re up to it.
Depending on your risk tolerance, 
book an outdoor pod with the mem-
bers of your pod. San Morello, on the 
ground floor of the Shinola hotel, has 
tiny greenhouses and open seating with 
patio heaters set up to book for your 
party — their service is A+ as ever, now 
just behind masks. The Tartufo pizza 
bianca, and Sheep’s Milk Ricotta with hot 
honey and garlic and soft, fresh bread, 
and Mushroom Risotto will help you stay 
warm (They also have very nice salads, 
but when in Sicily…).

Or book yourself a private dining suite!
The Foundation Hotel and their lobby 
level restaurant, the Apparatus Room, 
have brilliantly converted suites to book-
able private dining rooms. For $50, you 
can rent a thoroughly sanitized room 
for your pod and call down to have food 
and drinks delivered right to your door. 
The Roasted Carrot Hummus with dates, 
pistachios, and fresh sourdough bread is 
spicy and savory, and the Pumpkin and 
Parmesan Risotto — buttery, lightly acidic 

and with unbelievably creamy pieces of 
pumpkin — cannot be missed. It’s hard to 
say which is better: the consistently excel-
lent food or the luxuriousness and sense of 
being truly out.

DAY 2
Pretend you’re in the Paris of … Europe 
with the best coffee and pastries in 
town. Coffee culture in Detroit has 
exploded in the last few years, and a 

few new-ish bakeries are rounding out 
the options that would make even a 
Francophilic snob go back for seconds. 
Grab a coffee at Detroit’s outpost 
of the Grand Rapid’s homegrown 
favorite, Madcap. Or venture up to 
Milwaukee Caffe in the Milwaukee 
Junction neighborhood, a tiny walk-
up espresso counter that nods to a 
neighborhood joint in Italy.
For pastries (and a very decent cap-
puccino), try Cannelle by Matt Kino 
— also a great place to pick up an 
almost-too-beautiful-to-eat tart. And 
for the absolute best, hands down, 
cannot-be-beaten almond croissant 
in the state, go to Ochre Bakery, 
which also sells excellent breads, 
thick slices of perfectly soft, not-too-
sweet cake and some groceries. While 
you’re there, grab a coffee from the 
Astro roastery next door and explore 
the Grand River Creative Corridor 
District, with its distinct Quonset huts 
and murals — on billboards, buildings 
and overpass bridges. 
 
Drop by the DIA. If you like your art 
indoors, consider this your reminder 
that we have a national treasure in our 
backyard. Reserve tickets and a time 
slot in advance because the muse-
um is limiting occupancy. The mask 
requirement, temperature scans and 
cavernous rooms make you feel safe.
Now is an especially good time to 
stop by: The cars on display in the 
Detroit Style: Car Design in the Motor City 
1950-2020 will impress and transport 
even those — like myself — who don’t 
know a thing about cars (through June 
27, 2021).
The real takeaway from my enjoyable 
weekend of “immersive research” was 
a reminder that this city is full of small 
wonders. It may only take you 20 min-
utes to get Downtown, but be sure to 
book ahead: We can all use something 
to look forward to these days, and the 
anticipation of an adventure — even 
a little, local one — makes it all the 
sweeter. 

ESSAY

continued from page 29

TOP: Playground Detroit’s colorful gallery turned gift 

shop pop-up. CENTER: The confections at Cannelle. 

BOTTOM: Learn to see cars like a designer at the 

Detroit Style exhibit at the DIA.

NOSH

