The September Hit List: Phoenicia, Sloppy Chops, Marrow, Adachi, and More

New to the Resy fold, this Lebanese-American jewel on the outskirts of downtown Birmingham is celebrating 50 years in business under the steady hand of its iconic mustachioed proprietor, Sameer Eid, who, at 82, still dotes on lunchtime regulars like our very own JoAnn Clevenger. Phoenicia’s been packing ‘em in for half a century with benchmark-setting Lebanese mezze, like the smoky baba ganoush, and best-in-town tabouli alongside dishes rich in Eid’s personal history. Everyone has their favorites, but the crispy, dry-rubbed baby back ribs are the order on most tables. Pro tip: Ask for them “Samy-style.”

Sloppy Chops debuted on 6 Mile near Schaefer in early 2020 just as the pandemic began to set in. It thrived anyway, thanks to Chef Al Moxley’s longtime catering following and indulgent steakhouse fare in a part of town with few full-service dining options. The eponymous “Sloppy Chops” are prime center-cut lamb chops drizzled in Moxley’s signature secret sauce. But it’s the success of the fried lobster tacos that’s spurred a sister restaurant: Sloppy Crab, a seafood-focused follow-up planned for a space directly across from the RenCen downtown, opening any day now.

Coming up on its first birthday, this pandemic-born outdoor dining space from Detroit Black Restaurant Week co-founder Kwaku Osei-Bonsu and partner Lloyd Talley continues to evolve beyond the prix fixe dim sum-style it opened with. With executive chef Nygel Fyvie departed to New Orleans, EastEats now fills food programming with guest chefs like Chef Fresh of Fresh Express and hot roving pop-ups like Fried Chicken & Caviar. The focus has expanded a bit from the domed dining experience to community-driven events like bingo for sneakerheads, guided morning gong and meditation sessions, and wine-and-house music pairings on Fridays with DJ Bruce Bailey. See the full lineup and book at easteats.us.

Another Black-owned restaurant that had the misfortune of debuting just before COVID hit, Ivy Kitchen & Cocktails made it through solely on proprietor Nya Marshall’s Detroit brand of resilience and the goodwill of the community. Marshall spent years developing the property herself but was offered little in help from the various government-backed restaurant relief packages because of the timing of her opening. She fought to keep her fledgling business alive and today life is back on this reawakening stretch of the avenue. Pop in for the $8 midweek happy hour and small plates like fall-off-the-bone mezcal wings and short rib wonton tacos. You’ll be supporting a business that’s taken its fair share of hits.

Reservations can be made by calling 313-332-0607; walk-ins welcome.

It’s been an especially rough summer for this whole-animal butcher/restaurant hybrid, as it has been for much of Detroit’s east side. After multiple bouts of heavy flooding and power outages caused by relentless summer storms on top of the COVID labor crunch and unending uncertainty, Marrow is returning to some of its classic dishes in September for a little familiar comfort. That means the likely return of glutinous dumplings and the restaurant’s namesake dish, adorned with fresh herbs and puff pastry. Though walk-ins are welcome and a la carte ordering is allowed from the limited menu, these days the experience is really tailored around the $60 chef’s tasting, which begins with a board of the excellent housemade charcuterie and takes you through an additional four courses of Sarah Welch’s true farm-to-table fare.

Our tour through the east side ends at Rose’s. Notably, this new-school, community-rooted café, which pioneered tipless dining in Detroit, recently added an addendum to its original moniker, giving emphasis to the wine-shop pivot owner Molly Mitchell made to survive the pandemic. Even pre-COVID, the ethos-driven morning diner had begun to dabble in dinner service and a Michigan-forward wine program.

Now, with beloved local wine dude Diego Aliste at the helm of the program, Rose’s has emerged as a full-blown natural wine market and lounge as part of its diverse offerings. On the food side, head baker Eggy Ding continues to turn out gorgeous custom cakes, pastries, and incredible sourdough available through a weekly bread and wine subscription. Paninis, salads, and sandwiches showcasing Michigan’s seasonal bounty and products like smoked Lake Superior whitefish are a perfect foil for a natty wine on the patio. Friday pop-ups from the likes of Verna and Bandhu Gardens demonstrate Rose’s transformation into a community food hub — the 2021 version of a café.

While some are adding to their names, the pandemic reset finds Adachi completely free of its “by Michael Schlow” signature and Executive Chef Lloyd Roberts more confident in his faculties than ever. This new-school sushi spot occupies a historic old mansion, and Roberts follows a similar tradition-meets-modern approach on what is now a tighter, better-executed menu. You’ll find his deftest touch (and mentor Nobu Matsuhisa’s influence) under the brief New Style Sashimi section. Try the scallops, sliced and sultrily splayed across a bundle of matchstick Nashi pear soaking in a decadent but delicate yuzu-truffle sauce. Roberts in a single dish proves why he is one of a handful of new driving forces lifting the tides of metro Detroit’s proverbial sushi boats.

September would normally mark the beginning of the bustling theatre season in Detroit, and the busiest time of year for this French-inspired fine-dining stalwart in an old house near the Fisher Building. But with the Broadway In Detroit schedule delayed until October, now is your chance to sneak in before the rush to taste one of the city’s best-kept classic dining secrets.

Now in its 20th year, chef-owner Paul Grosz’s modern spin on European classics still wins over new customers, who inevitably rave about the silky lobster bisque or one of Grosz’s signature duck entrees. All these years later, the Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef is still on the line every night, proving there’s nothing in the business of hospitality more important than showing up every day.

Inspired in part by the Kreuzberg neighborhood of Berlin, this “super cool” new restaurant from the owners of Two James Distillery adds the first döner kebab contender to Balkan House’s local monopoly on the Turkish-by-way-of-Germany late-night/all-day staple. Supergeil’s version is an exemplary take — especially for those who like it hot — with high-quality lamb and beef or chicken varieties shaved right off the spit. Eggplant and apricot amba fill in for a vegetarian variety, all layered inside a crusty but incredibly light housemade pide bread. Mediterranean touches like tinned seafood and Catalan chicken fill in the gaps of the otherwise Turkish-inflected menu. And to be expected from one of Detroit’s most beloved distilling companies: the cocktails, including a variety of inspired gin & tonics, are the star on the beverage side.

Reservations can be made by phone at 313-462-4133; walk-ins welcome.

Located in a former bank vault, this basement-level speakeasy hidden behind a door inside Coffee Down Under has been turning the heads of the in-the-know crowd since its spring 2021 debut. The dimly lit lounge punches above its weight class (and janitor’s closet-sized kitchen) on the food front thanks to a clever bar menu from chefs Matt Tulpa and John Yelinek that compliments head bartender Andre Sykes’ elevated cocktail program.

The critic Bill Addison coined this style of cooking as “New Romanticism,” which could certainly describe the genre of Shelby’s beef tartare, a jewel box dish of ground chuck layered with beef mignonette, smoked beef heart, and showering of fine chives all hiding a punchy aioli beneath it. For “escar-no,” cremini mushrooms receive the same treatment that snails do in Burgundy. The whimsy on the plate and in the glass balances the seriousness of the room. Walk-ins welcome, but first you’ve got to find the place.