After nearly 2 years of anticipation, earlier this week was the official opening of Portillo’s Livonia location. Portillo’s original Michigan location was opened 3 years ago in Sterling Heights. The Livonia location is quite spacious (7900 square feet) but is actually a bit smaller than their Sterling Heights location. But, it still offers seating for 175 plus 50 on their outdoor patio. And of course their food is just as delicious! You may also have seen the Portillo’s Beef Bus around which rolled into the area earlier this year.

Located in the Vista Tech Center, The American Harvest Restaurant may be the schools best kept secret.  Unless you are in “the know”, you have probably never heard of it, yet it has been around for as far back as I can remember.  It was there in 1985, when I attended.  It is not just a restaurant, but a class that is part of the culinary program and all student must take.  The downfall is that it is not open all the time, only when class is in session.  Don’t mistake the cafeteria as the restaurant. The cafeteria and culinary program are 2 separate entities.  Culinary Arts does not prepare the food for the cafeteria.

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.