Where to Eat in January: Hanah Steakhouse, Mint 29, Adachi, and More

You can definitely get a steak — everything from a seven-ounce wagyu hanger to a 38-ounce dry-aged bone-in tomahawk — at this downtown newcomer from proprietors Chris and Peter Han, who operate two Osaka Japanese Steakhouses in the suburbs. But the unabashedly fusion Hanah is no classic American steakhouse, trading in pan-Asian flavors out of a sexy downtown space that partially extends into the skybridge over Shelby Street. In addition to the beef, you’ll find non-traditional sushi and ramen sharing space with a Korean spin on Cantonese beef chow fun, Japanese-influenced chicken and waffles, wagyu sliders, and Shanghainese xiao long bao next to Vietnamese spring rolls. The beverage list is equally as border-hopping.

Tucked below the main floor of Hanah, you’ll find an unassuming little coffee shop called Coffee Down Under. While it’s perfectly fine to seek out this subterranean hole-in-the-wall for a quick caffeinated beverage, Coffee Down Under is perhaps better known as the front for Shelby, a speakeasy cocktail lounge in the building’s former basement bank vault. The boundary-pushing cocktails are the star of the show at Shelby. Case in point: the What’s Poppin?, made of fat-washed, popcorn-infused rum with elote liqueur, acid-adjusted orange juice, and gingerbread syrup. But the elevated snacks from executive chef Matt Tulpa are equally as playful, like the “escar-no,” with cremini mushrooms in place of snails, or the elegant smoked whitefish financiers. Rotating daily chef specials like seared beef tenderloin with pho broth fill in for entrees for those seeking more of a meal. It all combines for an experience that feels confoundingly nostalgic and progressive at once.

Walk-ins welcome.

Calling it a trend might be a little generous, but Shelby isn’t the only place in metro Detroit where you can dine inside an old bank vault. Open since 2020, the Vault on First is a first-floor restaurant located in the former National Bank of Wyandotte, which now also houses apartments and offices upstairs. The restaurant serves chophouse classics with a special eye toward accommodating food allergies, in a historic space that’s been slicked over in an understated, contemporary gray. Downtown Wyandotte is experiencing a bit of a resurgence, and the Vault’s generous midweek happy hour and $25 steak frites are one of the downriver city’s draws.

Housed inside a former federal bank building in Dearborn, Mint 29 bills itself as a fusion restaurant, but its menu has more in common with the classic-leaning Vault than the Asian fusion Hanah, though it splits the difference at times. Located in the heart of Michigan’s Arab community, Mint 29 could be considered a halal steakhouse with a globally inspired menu dotted here and there with Japanese influences. Grilled black tiger shrimp are served with eel sauce and spicy red seaweed, but the prime burger is all indulgent Americana, topped with white cheddar, lettuce, and mayo on a brioche bun covered in “everything” seasoning.

This stylish five-year-old hot spot in the far northern suburbs was once the home of Jossman State Bank, built during the turn of the 20th century. The bank’s old cinder-block safe, complete with hulking steel door, is just one centerpiece of the restaurant, doubling as a private dining room right in the middle of the main floor. Opened in 2017 by owners Sarah and James Schneider, The Fed is bright, airy, and boho-chic, an aesthetically pleasing backdrop for both big brunch parties and romantic dates. The menu is modern American farm-to-table with a little bit of something for everyone.

Walk-ins welcome, or call 248-297-5833 for reservations.

Adachi may be located inside a historic mansion instead of a bank, but the way the contemporary, Japanese-influenced interior flexes the building’s Victorian bones results in an equally transportive experience. Here, executive chef Lloyd Roberts continues to quietly prove why he’s one of Michigan’s most underrated culinary talents, turning out both traditional nigiri and inventive maki alongside elegant appetizers and entrees like yuzu-miso black cod and Singaporean-style stir-fried lobster. We may not have a Nobu in metro Detroit, but Adachi and Roberts — who opened a number of Nobu restaurants around the world before landing in Birmingham — might be the next closest thing. Pro tip: If the high-ticket dinner experience is a little too rich for your blood after the holidays, opt for the midweek happy hour for $7 Toki highballs and snacks for under $12.

The seasonal tide is shifting once again at Hazel’s. Beginning Jan. 4, the Birmingham seafood favorite changes focus from the waters of the West Coast to gustatory treats from the Gulf. Hazel’s Crab Trap menu features Florida stone crab served with butter-boiled potatoes, hush puppies, and green beans, as well as alligator bites, New Orleans-style barbecue shrimp, and Floridian grouper. Regardless of season, lobster rolls are always available in both hot butter-drenched Connecticut-style and cold mayo Maine-style, and so is Hazel’s exceptional fried chicken.

Find more info here.

If you’ve driven down Woodward Avenue near New Center over the last three years, you’ve likely been intrigued by the squat little building with a “See You Tomorrow” sign out front. Surrounded by a fenced-in parking lot that looks primed for a used car dealership, the mystery came to an end in late 2022 when See You Tomorrow debuted as a fast-casual breakfast and brunch cafe. All that built-up anticipation led to early crowds, who pack in the 30-seat former gas station for egg scrambles, bagels and lox, chicken and waffles, salmon croquettes, sandwiches, and salads. A liquor license is already in place, and SYT promises a boozy brunch to be rolled out in 2023.

Find more info here.

Closed since the summer of 2022 after six years in operation, this Chinese-American spot in Detroit’s former Chinatown neighborhood reopened at the end of December, no longer under the purview of the Detroit Optimist Society hospitality group. Partner Chuck Inchaustegui is now sole owner and has worked to narrow down the menu to focus on what guests loved the most about The Peterboro. The beloved cheeseburger spring rolls — introduced by Peterboro’s opening chef, the late Brion Wong — make a welcome comeback alongside fried rice, lo mein, and dumplings, while the ambitious cocktail menu has been completely revamped.

Find more info here.

Detroit finally has its own dedicated amaro bar. It also happens to be an Italian disco lounge in an old apartment above one of the city’s most dedicated tiki bars. In December, the folks who own and operate Lost River along Detroit’s border with Grosse Pointe Park quietly debuted this moody upstairs watering hole that could double as a set for a David Lynch film. The tunes may lean more La Bionda than Badalamenti, but the black-and-white checkerboard floor and moody, surreal lighting will have you seeing “Twin Peaks.” Currently open just Friday and Saturday nights, Apartment Disco is the only place in town to sip on an amari tasting flight while shimmying under a sparkling disco ball. Pro tip: Enter through the secret door inside Lost River.

Find more info here.