In 2013 David Steinke (who also co- owns the Mercury Burger Bar on Michigan Ave) and Tim Springstead (who co-owns Nemos Bar also on Michigan Ave) had the thought of opening a new and exciting restaurant in Corktown.  The area was bouncing back and the building right across from Nemos, at the corner of 8^th St. and Michigan Ave, was available and turned out to be the perfect location for them to open up an Italian restaurant.  Ottava Via (pronounced O-Tava Via), which translates to Eighth Way or 8th Street was the perfect and most obvious name, and it sound cool.  The building, which was built in 1914, is the former home of Dime Saving Bank way back in the day and most recently a pawn shop before being transformed into what it is today.

This week, we are in Detroit’s Midtown neighborhood, at its newest upscale Italian restaurant, Mad Nice.  While the name doesn’t scream “restaurant”, it makes sense once you have seen the place . . . It is Mad Nice!  From the outside, you don’t even think this would be a restaurant. It looks more like a nice modern office building.  The only signage is “Mad Nice” in bold letters along the front of the building, which is on Second Ave between Alexandrine and Willis. 

This week we are featuring one of those places that we have driven by 100 times and wondered “what’s that place all about”? We know it is a pizza place . . . but is it good? Well we finally decided to meet some friends for lunch in Royal Oak and this is where went. We are talking about Bigalora Cucina.

If you live in the Livonia, Plymouth or Northville area, you are familiar with this weeks Fun Food Friday location . . . but you may not be familiar 100% familiar with all they have to offer. I’m talking about Cantoro’s Italian Market. Cantoro’s itself is a wonderful place to shop. 

If you are like us, you love Italian food, especially old school Italian.  We all know the local places, which we love to go to, that do it right.  There’s Carraba’s in Dearborn Heights, Corsi’s and Mama Mia’s in Livonia and Redford and DeLuca’s in Westland.  Then there are famous Detroit eateries with historic mob backgrounds like Mario’s on 3rd or Café Roma (formerly Roma Café) .  In our travels, we found something for this week’s Fun Food Friday location and it is super cool.

This week we are featuring a newer restaurant we have been wanting to try since it opened in Fall of 2020, during the height of the Covid craziness: Oak & Reel, Hour Magazine’s 2022 restaurant of the year.