The 10 Restaurants That Defined Detroit Dining in 2022

Open since mid-November, Basan already hums with the easy-handed polish of a restaurant in business much longer. Its 80-some seats are divided between a dimly lit dining room in view of the kitchen’s robata grill and a separate lounge area and bar. On the latter, try the lavender-colored Ube-B (“ooh baby”) from cocktail impresario Will Lee, which goes down like “an elevated alcoholic cereal milk,” as one server aptly described it.

On the food side, it’s hard to go wrong with anything on Eric Lees’ Japanese-ish menu. If you hear “robata” and come seeking traditional Japanese food at Basan, you may be disappointed — bologna is among the bao options here, after all. But when it comes to harmony of flavors and textures, from the umeboshi-glazed chicken thigh skewers topped with crispy chicken skin pieces to the light-as-a-whisper eggplant tempura or the indulgent chicken liver mousse with toasted milk bread and cherry jam, Basan just doesn’t miss.

Sharaku is far from new, having drawn Japanese food enthusiasts to a remote strip mall on the edge of West Bloomfield since 1998 with its pitch-perfect takes on a variety of traditional dishes from Japan. But its stature has grown in recent years, mostly because of managing partner Ken Nagao’s commitment to delivering an authentic Japanese dining experience worth driving to the far reaches of Oakland County.

Expertly sliced sashimi and nigiri are the stars here, but first-time visitors shouldn’t miss ordering a little pot of bouncy chawanmushi to dig through for pieces of shrimp and fish cake hidden among the custardy egg. Mow down on unctuous, shattering pork tonkatsu or slurp Sharaku’s distinctively thin Inaniwa udon noodles served in a smoky dashi broth. All options are great, even if the menu can be a little overwhelming for newcomers. (There’s no shame in asking your server for guidance.) The best seat in the house, though, is at the sushi counter. And if you go often enough to get to know the chefs, you just might be able to convince them to create a special omakase menu just for you.

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Ima proprietor Mike Ransom has been a busy man these last few years, opening three outposts of his popular noodle shop since 2016. Now, with a move to the old Gold Cash Gold space up the block, Ransom is able to show off some fine-dining finesse, in a more fully built-out setting with a large kitchen. The Japanese-inspired izakaya offers an expansive all-day menu, anchored by favorites such as spicy tori udon and golden curry rice bowls, as well as dishes like hamachi crudo, topped with a tangy-sweet yuzu-lemon confit, jalapeno, micro-cilantro, and crunchy black salt. A selection of skewers kissed from the flame of the robata grill features Tsukune chicken meatballs and Kawahagi triggerfish jerky. The biggest difference from the other Ima outposts, though, is the section of market cut entrees, which feature dishes like chilean sea bass with miso-yuzu glaze and NY strip served with a skewer of grilled asparagus and mushrooms.

After years of Detroit proper dominating much of the drinking and dining conversation in southeast Michigan, the pandemic and mounting challenges of working with and within the city of Detroit have led to some exciting options in previously uncelebrated locales on its periphery. Case in point: Clawson, once known as the sleepier, older sibling to neighboring nightlife hot spot Royal Oak. But this little suburb with a historic and walkable downtown has become a hot spot in its own right.

Among the biggest drivers of the changes in Clawson is Weiss Distilling Co. From the sourcing of organic grains for the upstart distillery’s spirits, to the crafting of its own reverse-osmosis ice for cocktails, to the hand-painted birds projected on the wall of Weiss’ speakeasy, every detail has been designed to wow those who come into contact with the brand — and in its first year, that commitment to integrity of product has worked. The latest iteration: an adult winter wonderland dubbed “Weiss on Ice,” featuring seasonally appropriate cocktails and decorations that beckon imbibers from near and far.

The former home of the Detroit Fire Department’s Ladder 4 company has added hours and offerings to finally complete its painstaking transition into a natural wine bar and community gathering space. One thing it surely is not, as proprietor James Cadariu has insisted since day one, is a restaurant, though he now makes the statement with a smirk, perhaps knowing full well that Ladder 4 is one of the most exciting Detroit restaurants to have debuted since the onset of COVID.

We mostly have chef John Yelinek to thank for that. The Roast alum, who pops up as the wood fire-centric Park Ranger in other venues, makes full use of Cadariu’s state-of-the-art kitchen, overseeing a tight menu of irreverent instant classics. There’s been tartare served on a sesame seed bun (à la Big Mac), a skate wing sandwich with slaw and lemon-caper sauce inspired by the daily catch at Monahan’s Seafood Market in Ann Arbor, a savory duck liver eclair, and a jiggly Basque-style cheesecake, to name a few. The food is the perfect foil for Cadariu’s thoughtful collection of all-natural, mostly Central and Eastern European wines.

Marrow chef-partner Sarah Welch’s extraordinary star-turning run on Season 19 of Bravo’s “Top Chef” this year put the spotlight back on her West Village butcher shop-restaurant in a big way. Welch didn’t win in the end, but her quick wit and earnest self-awareness charmed viewers, and Marrow experienced a wave of new visitors as a result.

With the recent addition of chef de cuisine Eddie Moreau, dinner is served Thursday through Sunday as a five-course, $65 tasting menu that often begins with an impressive charcuterie board featuring house-cured meats and pickled things, followed by glutinous rice dumplings (a Welch calling card), then maybe some noodles or a kimchi Caesar salad, and an entree that might be an off-cut of beef from a Michigan farm or seared scallops with pork XO sauce. Though the name and concept might conjure steakhouse vibes, Marrow is more of an Asian-inflected small plates restaurant that happens to be connected to one of the best butcher shops in Michigan with one of the state’s best chefs at the helm.

Speaking of star turns, Warda Patisserie proprietor Warda Bougettaya’s year was quite literally one for the books. In June, Bougettaya became the first chef operating in Detroit proper to win a James Beard Award since Jimmy Schmidt took home the title of Best Chef: Great Lakes at the Rattlesnake Club nearly 30 years ago. Beard voters crowned Bougettaya as outstanding pastry chef. Then, just three months later, the Algerian-born pastry chef was named one of Food & Wine’s “Best New Chefs.” All that attention led to swelling lines outside of the patisserie in Midtown, where Bougettaya set up shop in 2021 following a few years working out of Trinosophes cafe.

At the self-described “patisserie without borders,” this year’s big winner was undoubtedly the maritozzi, an oversized Italian donut filled with whipped cream that’s become more elaborate as 2022 has worn on. You can’t go wrong with the simple, cream-filled original, but you’re unlikely to find a huckleberry and matcha twist maritozzi anywhere else.

Manager Thor Jones has worked double-time to build an inclusive environment with special events that specifically draw a Detroit crowd. During normal operating hours, the Nordic-inspired craft cocktail bar serves tuned-up snacks from Hewitt that would fit right in at the operators’ flagship, Chartreuse Kitchen & Cocktails. There might be lamb meatballs with yogurt and mint, mussels in lobster broth, or loaded potato skins topped with short rib, cheddar, and sour cream. Designed to complement the balanced, effervescent cocktails at the bar’s heart, nothing on the food menu runs more than $16.

But over the last year, Jones has brought in cult favorite Black-owned taco joint Shellshock’d Tacos for a sold-out dinner pop-up, as well as Ice Cream Detroit’s “Wine Down Wednesdays,” and a popular Sunday brunch residency from the ladies behind the red-hot Fried Chicken & Caviar pop-up. Sometimes, all it takes to build community is an invitation.

The core of Daebak is the do-it-yourself barbecue grills built into the tables, each equipped with its own adjustable vent to suck up the sweet smoke that comes sizzling off thinly sliced short rib and beef bulgogi, sold à la carte or by the platter. Choose from an impressive selection of Korean alcohols, from the requisite soju and makgeolli to the less common baekse-ju (fermented glutinous rice wine) and bokbunja-ju (black raspberry wine), or from a whole roster of pan-Asian beers. Banchan are always fresh, and the platters come with a salad, soup, and a brothy steamed egg clinging to the sides of an earthenware bowl. Savor it while your grill warms up, and don’t leave without letting the kitchen do at least some of your cooking. The Korean fried chicken, japchae, and icy beef tartare are always on point.

Next, the Yis are transforming an eyesore of a long-vacant building next door into New Seoul Market, a 15,000-square-foot upscale Korean grocer and specialty Asian food market that will include a large outdoor seating area, a pagoda, and an exterior art installation. If there’s a Koreatown in metro Detroit, this might soon be it.

Consistency is part of the draw at Selden Standard, as it continues to deliver good food and drink a full eight years into its life. Part of the strategy: quality trumps quantity. What once was a seven-day-a-week lunch and dinner operation is currently running dinner service only Wednesday through Sunday. In that narrower service window, standards haven’t wavered an inch. You can still often find chef-partner Andy Hollyday’s shaved vegetable carpaccio — a new Detroit classic at this point — or smoked lamb ribs with agrodolce on the menu. Whether filled with sweet potato in the winter or corn in the summer, the agnolotti is always the right order; natch for the crispy grilled trout, cooked over wood fire and served drenched in brown butter and citrus. Cocktails and wine have been standouts since day one, but expect them to elevate even more with the recent addition of ex-Mabel Gray bar manager Paul Fradeneck, who now serves as Selden’s general manager.