Where to Eat in August: Voyager, Truago, and More

Despite being decidedly landlocked, the two-square-mile city of Ferndale is home to one of the area’s best seafood shacks. Tucked next to the train tracks behind an auto mechanic shop, Voyager makes the most of its unlikely location with a big garage door that rolls up to let the summer breeze in off the cozy outdoor patio decked out to look like you’re dockside somewhere on the Cape. The oyster menu is a bit smaller these days than the ambitious list Voyager curated when it first debuted in 2017, but the focused menu of creative seafood riffs remains. What’s more, the popular COVID-era “dockside-to-go” option is going strong for the foreseeable future, offering a carryout-friendly menu of raw seafood, lobster rolls, and the must-try Filet o’ Fish imitator that vastly outshines its inspiration.

August means one thing at chef James Rigato’s high-energy Hazel Park outpost known for its daily changing offerings: vegan tasting menu. The annual celebration of all things plant-based runs August 2-27 at Mabel, with a new menu available every week. While there’s typically an a la carte option during normal service, vegan month requires booking a $75 tasting menu of roughly eight courses, with an optional $45 vegan beverage pairing. Reservations go fast, but you can always angle for a seat or two at the bar or call 248-398-4300 to be added to the waitlist.

The recently revived Public House, now under the ownership of Brian Kramer’s Hometown Restaurant Group, added an entirely separate plant-based kitchen and menu to its offerings when it reopened on Nine Mile a few months back. (The “Garden” addendum in the restaurant’s name nods to this fact.) But Kramer & Co. didn’t stop there. They also hired Megan Shaw, one half of the once-buzzy vegan junk food pop-up Street Beet, to oversee the meatless side. Street Beet fans who miss their irreverent, plant-based riffs on popular fast-food favorites will be more than satisfied by Public House’s selection of vegan fried “chicken” sandwiches. The crispy, well-spiced tofu patty mimics the texture of real poultry meat so well you might think there’s been a mix-up. Alas, it’s just that good.

No reservations.

OK, so maybe there’s technically a surface parking lot between Whiskeys and the water, but if you’re close enough to see the river and feel its breeze while you sip a paloma or a Paper Plane, you’re just as good. Located in the heart of Wyandotte’s historic downtown district, Whiskeys is a locals’ spot offering a wide selection of bar favorites to soak up the booze. Most entrees here — think: glazed salmon, bone-in pork chops, fish ‘n’ chips — run less than $20, and the dedicated kids’ menu makes this more of a family-friendly option than the Coyote Ugly-esque digs suggest.

A couple of miles up Biddle Avenue, tucked among marinas and private boat launches, you’ll find The Waterfront restaurant jutting out into the Detroit River. Popular for weddings and private parties, the lounge and restaurant features an unfussy American banquet menu with a little something for everyone. But the main draw here is the outdoor and rooftop patio right on the riverfront, which often features live music dockside on weekends. Bring a big group and watch the tugboats pass nearby Mud Island.

Continuing our downriver trek, we head even farther south to where Biddle Avenue becomes Jefferson again. Here, two blocks from the water, Major Biddles owners Jeremy and Kristina Syrocki operate Truago, which anchors the slightly less quaint downtown of Trenton — if there is such a thing. The restaurant serves everything from Polish pierogi to tacos to a selection of mac ‘n’ cheeses loaded with various ingredients. The prime rib is the house specialty, but so is the deep seafood selection, which runs the gamut from tuna poke bowls to Michigan lake perch and baskets of fried walleye.

Sometimes you just need a classic. And though Kruse & Muer on Woodward has only been around for five years, it’s just the latest outpost in a small local restaurant chain founded in 1988, with roots that stretch back even further to Chuck Muer’s popular Charley’s Crab restaurants. So while the interior may be a tad more modern than some of its sister restaurants, you can still expect that same steaming paper bag of soft, garlicky breadsticks to hit the table along with your drink order. Traditionalists will be happy with the selections of cedar-planked fresh catch, broiled Lake Superior whitefish, flash-fried lake perch, or Boston cod fish ‘n’ chips. But even slightly more adventurous dishes like the flavor-packed “dynamite” shrimp tacos don’t disappoint.

Though it’s been around in various limited forms the last couple of years, medical doctor Mark Beard’s ode to Germanic food and beverage recently made its debut in the garden of an old Midtown Victorian mansion as a year-round outdoor-only operation, now reliably open Wednesday through Saturday evenings. Beard recruited former Western Market buyer and natural wine head Jarred Gild as beverage director to highlight varietals from Germany and Austria currently underrepresented in the Detroit market. Visitors can also expect classic German lagers and the occasional visiting food pop-up. Additional renovations to the building promise the introduction of indoor dining at Stadt in the future.

Find more info here.

Just a stone’s throw from the original pint-sized Ima noodle shop on Michigan Avenue, Ima Izakaya is chef-owner Mike Ransom’s most-realized restaurant vision to date. When Ransom first moved back to Detroit in 2016 after working in fine dining and running boutique hotel restaurants in San Francisco and Baltimore, the plan was to open a Japanese-inspired izakaya. He’d even secured some funding and a potential location on the city’s northwest side. But when construction delays halted that project, Ransom instead leased a former sandwich shop with barely a kitchen to speak of to execute a bare-bones udon-focused version of his izakaya. Six years later, Ima boasts additional locations in Midtown and Madison Heights and that original bare-bones spot recently became Now, an event-driven pop-up space. Down the block at the izakaya, which took up residence in the old Gold Cash Gold space, Ransom expands on his award-winning noodles and rice dishes with a few more soigne offerings in the mix: hamachi crudo with yuzu-lemon confit, beef tartare with chile-ginger vinaigrette, a selection of skewered proteins cooked on a charcoal-powered robata grill, and even a couple market price entrees to add some gravitas to the casual, come-as-you-are vibe.

Though this chain of pizza restaurants hails from Ohio, its apt slogan owes a little something to Austin, TX: Keep Pizza Weird™. Detroit’s own Pizza Cat opened its doors in the former Ready Player One arcade bar on the outskirts of Greektown in mid-July, offering pies topped with Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and crust options that include hemp and keto-friendly chicken. (Yes, the crust is made from chicken.) There’s also steamed bagel sandwiches, wings, and rotating desserts from Detroit’s own Lucki’s Cheesecakes. If it sounds a little too weird, start your evening with a couple of cocktails from the full bar and you’ll be letting your freak flag fly in no time.