In 2016, Michael Ransom decided to return to Detroit to open a casual restaurant featuring Japanese inspired food with Midwestern ingredients. He named this restaurant IMA. Ima in Japanese kanji means ‘now’, as in ‘in the moment’. Chef Ransom said “My philosophy behind the ‘now’ thing is that food is an escape. When you’re sitting down at a table with great food and great people … nothing else matters. It’s kind of an escape from reality a little bit. It’s that break in the middle of your day or night that really does allow time to stand still.”

This week we ventured out to Downtown Northville, to a place that is serving up some great happy hours selections available ALL DAY MONDAY and from 1-6 PM Tuesday through Thursday.   The Northville Sports Den. This is not a new place. It has been open since around 2010. They are a family owned restaurant, located in the Northville Square business complex. There is an entrance in the rear right off the parking lot behind the building so parking is usually not a problem. 

Located at the north end of Walled Lake, just east of Pontiac Trail, is a long standing restaurant that has been many names through the years.  My memories are from when it was Key Largos back in the 90’s. Today, it is the home to The Beach Tiki Bar & Boil

Everyone is painfully aware that dining out has become very expensive.  As you probably know, we eat out often! Usually, when we go out, we end up sitting at the bar and sharing a few appetizers and a beer, bourbon or cool cocktail.  It’s QUICK (because you get your drinks right away) FUN (because you get to talk to the bartenders, and other people at the bar) AND the best part, no leftovers to take home and no irritating styrofoam containers in your fridge. A lot of restaurants do SMALL PLATES / SHAREABLES or TAPAS. People don’t really want to commit to just ONE entree to eat.  They want to sample things and share food!  Although COVID changed a lot of things in the restaurant world . . . HAPPY HOUR HAS MADE A STRONG COMEBACK!

The story of Karl’s Cabin goes back to January of 1936 when Romanian immigrants, Alex and Katie Rusceak, purchased a 220 acre farm in Salem Township, MI for $1 from the Union Stock Land Bank of Detroit.  1 years later they opened Rusceak’s Rustic Tavern, a log framed tavern with a fieldstone fireplace build form boulders found on the property. 

The Fed Community. Husband and wife team Sarah and James Schneider, who were always looking for a reason to host their next dinner party or event, look at The Fed as an extension of their home.  They encourage guests to “come as they are” with their exquisite, yet laid back atmosphere . . . and no dress code.  I’m not sure if James and Sarah had previous restaurant experience, but they DO like to entertain! The Fed Community is a way for them to host a couple hundred people every night for dinner. 

This week we are back to Ann Arbor, visiting one of our all time favorites for not only BBQ but for great home brewed beers. Blue Tractor BBQ & Brewery.  The beautiful thing about this local brewery is that they also have a full liquor license so they don’t just sell beer and wine.  We have featured the Blue Tractor before, in 2019, as part of our Fun Food Friday posts . . . but a lot can happen in 5 years so we felt them worthy of another mention. 

This week we are featuring Rebecca’s Family Restaurant and Ice Cream Parlor at 134 N Center Street in the heart of Downtown Northville.  This place is adorable and so much fun!  It’s decorated throughout with all sorts of antique photos, model airplanes and a whole section dedicated to the Red Wings. But the coolest thing is the miniature train that is constantly circling the dining room which is a big hit with the kids.

This weeks adventure takes us to Wayne, to a locally owned establishment that is serving up some creative scratch-made-to-order food.  It is a bistro, but some refer to it as a sports bar in the sense they have tv’s and they usually have sports playing.  The Avenue American Bistro is not new, but it is new to us.  We were told about it by some friends that told us we would love it, and we did.

Located in the Heart of Downtown Wayne, it is a culinary delight! They opened their doors in 2010 and are still going strong today.  The inside is wide open with lots of space.  There are murals painted on the cinderblock walls depicting the blue collar workers the Detroit and surrounding communities were built on. The atmosphere, food and the service are exactly what we look for when we go out.