The October Hit List: Miss Kim, M Cantina, The Sugar House, and More

October 7 marks a decade since the Sugar House stirred its first sazerac for the public, ushering in the craft cocktail era in Detroit and helping to (dimly) light the way ever since. The Detroit Optimist Society hospitality group’s flagship will ring in its 10th birthday with a party on the 7th, but when the back bar is this deep and the classic cocktail list reads like a Bible, you know the celebration is bound to last longer than just one night. If ever there were an occasion for too many French 75s, let this be it.

If the Sugar House can be considered the Detroit Optimist Society’s founding institution, the Bad Luck might be the group’s most forward-looking space, even as it approaches its own half-decade milestone in December. Operating partner Yani Frye takes an experimental approach to cocktails, echoing the mysticism in the Bad Luck’s messaging with complex concoctions that read more like recipes for witches’ brew but drink like a charm. Even stepping into the space feels like a sleight of hand, as a nondescript back-alley door reveals a futuristic, post-Art Deco lair fit for a Bond villain — the type of place to disappear into on a rain-slicked October night.

Junior Merino made his name in the early aughts in New York City as the Liquid Chef, rising with the molecular mixology movement to become a sought-after international cocktail expert. Before moving to Dearborn to open his chef-driven Mexican street food spot in 2017, Merino created the first official cocktail of Mexico and mixed drinks for Oprah, among other high-flying achievements.

For their first four years in Michigan, Merino and his wife, Heidi, ran M Cantina as a halal operation featuring a selection of inspired street tacos, complex salsas and non-alcoholic cocktails. But earlier this year, the pair were able to finally secure a long-sought liquor license and have spent the intervening months stockpiling what they believe to be the largest selection of agave-based spirits in Michigan, with more than 1,000 different bottles on hand. An equally impressive collection of rare and ultra-premium brown spirits has also been added to the new second level.

To make reservations, call 313-399-9117.

Brome Modern Eatery executive chef Zane Makky and operator Sam Abbas teamed up with Cannelle owner and pastry chef Matt Knio for this stylish all-day brunch café anchoring a bustling corner of West Dearborn. Open since late spring, The Great Commoner sets itself apart by weaving Knio’s French influence and technique with American breakfast staples touched by ingredients more common to Middle Eastern fare. That translates to dishes like fluffy pancakes crowned with bird’s nest kanafeh and served alongside orange blossom syrup, or a loaded labneh toast as an alternative to the ubiquitous avocado variety, which is also available alongside more straight-ahead brunch fare.

Whereas The Great Commoner is a modern fusion of flavors, AlTayeb trades in the more traditional Lebanese variety of breakfast, executed at a level hard to find anywhere. Opened in the midst of the pandemic, AlTayeb’s second location in Dearborn expands on the exceptional Levantine breakfast staples like fatteh and ful found at the original hole-in-the-wall Garden City spot. But in these new digs, with a kitchen sized to handle the overwhelming demand, the food has somehow gotten even better, offering the area’s best hummus, falafel, and batata harra with a side of charming service.

Walk-ins only.

To an outsider, parts of Dearborn can seem like a purely immigrant enclave full of traditional bakeries, halal butchers, and shawarma shops, which are certainly defining touchstones of its character. But, as with any established immigrant community, multi-generational forces of assimilation make the true tapestry more complex. Like The Great Commoner across the street, Mint 29 exists in this diverse intersection. Located inside a former federal bank, the restaurant specializes in internationally-inflected chophouse fare that’s all halal, including a 34-ounce tomahawk steak and a Nobu-inspired riff on black cod miso. Its full bar also features a selection of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails and a short list of familiar wines and beers.

While Dearborn gets much of the attention for its density of Middle Eastern fare, the Eid family of Birmingham have been running Lebanese restaurants in the area longer than anyone else. The Eids chose downtown Detroit for their newest space, a parkside jewel named for the family matriarch that trades in the mezze of contemporary Beirut. Debuting to instant acclaim in late 2019, Leila no longer offers lunch but has found its footing as a romantic dinner-only spot with its wide windows opening on one of the city’s swankiest pedestrian districts. The crispy barbecue pork ribs made famous by its predecessor Phoenicia are still a menu highlight, but the fattoush here is even better than the original thanks to the addition of sweet and tangy pomegranate molasses. Freshly baked house pita and the smoky charcoal kiss imbued in the kebabs here go down all too well with a bottle of 2013 Chateau Musar, a deep and elegant expression of cabernet, cinsault, and carignan from Lebanon’s most famous Bekaa Valley wine house.

The sophisticated three-square-meal restaurant anchoring the new Daxton Hotel in downtown Birmingham is settling into its digs nicely. The minimalist tone it set soon after its spring debut has been softened by the addition of trees and towering greenery that emphasizes the stately, high-ceilinged space. Executive chef Garrison Price, a former protege of Jean-Georges Vongerichten who earned critical acclaim running Italian restaurants in New York City, offers a vegetable-forward blend of his experience on the menu, which runs the gamut from Chinese-inspired forbidden rice to Vietnamese-style duck to wood-fired pizza and housemade pasta. Impeccably sourced ingredients are treated with finesse. The hotel recently nabbed wine veteran Liz Martinez to head its beverage and service department, so you can expect to be hearing more from Madam.

For reservations, call 248-283-4200.

Adachi executive chef Lloyd Roberts opened this more casual pan-Asian stripmall concept with partners Kenny Koza and Clint Mansour in the middle of 2019. With Roberts now mostly back at the upscale Birmingham flagship, chef de cuisine Kwontrell Stowers has settled into the title role of “stove god,” the Chinese domestic god from which Zao Jun gets its name. The menu traverses China, Japan, and much of Southeast Asia at a price point amenable to many repeat visits with the whole family. Try the new selection of bao buns with fillings like crispy fried chicken and punchy slaw.

Recently joining the latest class of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs, Miss Kim chef-partner Ji Hye Kim has been turning heads with her socially conscious modern Korean street food restaurant that puts workers first — the restaurant is part of the Zingerman’s family — while digging deep into Korean culinary history for inspiration on the plate.

Contemporary staples like shattering Korean fried chicken share space with variations of tteokbokki, crispy thumb-sized rice cakes tossed in gochujang with pork belly and crowned with a runny egg in the street-style riff. A royale-style tteokbokki includes the same rice cakes laden with soy sauce, mushrooms, and roasted vegetables. You can’t go wrong with either. A smart and varied beverage menu includes both traditional Korean offerings as well as modish wines from the likes of Birichino and sour beers from Prairie Artisan Ales. Miss Kim is open for patio, dine-in, and to-go ordering, but reservations are recommended inside.

For reservations, call 734-275-0099.