The July Hit List: Bar Pigalle, Phoenicia, TigerLily, and More

New to the Resy fold, this stylish French bistro from Detroit beverage veterans Travis Fourmont and Joseph Allerton just celebrated one year in Brush Park in June. Named after Paris’ Pigalle quartier, Bar Pigalle never forgets where it’s actually located — evidenced by dishes such as crispy-skinned Great Lakes whitefish with beurre blanc — simultaneously paying homage to Detroit’s French roots in the process.

The Siren Hotel’s second-floor restaurant space, which formerly housed Karl’s diner, reopened as Ash — Bar Detroit last month. A twin of Ash’s all-day cafe at the hotel group’s Baltimore location, Ash — Bar Detroit builds on the nostalgic vibes of its predecessor but ratchets things up just a touch. (Tables are now covered with muted mint linens.) And in terms of food, expect Ash — Bar carryovers like the 24-hour pressed potatoes, thinly sliced stacked spuds fried in duck fat and topped with creme fraiche and a healthy dollop of trout roe. Pair with a kir royale and pretend like you’re living in another era for a spell.

Gonzalo Collazo’s compact empanada counter in Detroit’s Rivertown district has quickly built a following since debuting on the nascent strip of the Dennis Archer Greenway this spring. Empacho’s empanadas are baked, not fried, producing a flaky, soft exterior holding fillings both traditional (chorizo, beef salta) and less so (ham amd cheese, Neapolitan). Mix and match with sauces (criolla, chimichurri) and enjoy on the outdoor patio with a coffee from neighboring Red Hook cafe.

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The wait is finally over! After a monthslong closure, Birmingham’s crown jewel of Lebanese-American cooking is back and better than ever. Guests may notice the expanded entryway off the parking lot, the new light-filled private dining room, an upgraded front patio, and fresh upholstery on Phoenicia’s booths. But the most impactful changes have been behind the scenes — namely an expansive state-of-the-art kitchen, and the addition of former Ochre Bakery chef Talia Clark to help run it. Fear not, though, as Sameer Eid’s idiosyncratic menu has been left untouched … crispy Samy-style pork ribs and all.

If the goal of art is to inspire feeling and stir conversation, then developer Philip Kafka’s new Core City cafe could be considered one successful work of art. Shortly after it debuted this spring, Cafe Prince’s “nude, raw, chilled” carrot for $1.80 ignited a lively debate about affordability in the neighborhood and inspired at least one eponymous Instagram meme account. But others, including Detroit Free Press restaurant critic Lyndsay Green, defended Kafka’s philosophy of providing healthful, whole foods to a community that’s endlessly barraged by highly processed foodstuffs.

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Located in the old Ford-Peabody Mansion a block north of Phoenicia, Adachi’s midweek happy hour is one of the best (see: most affordable) entry points to chef Lloyd Roberts’ sushi and Japanese-inspired fare. Choose from an assortment of rolls, modestly priced between $8 and $10, before tucking into crispy chicken with yuzu kosho aioli or slow-cooked ribs shellacked with sticky-sweet soy caramel. Play it right, and you could make a whole meal out of it, though you’ll have to return for dinner to gain a full appreciation of the former Nobu chef’s deep talents.

Thanks to stalwarts like Inyo Lounge and Sakana, Ferndale has long been known for its sushi offerings. TigerLily, which opened last year in the short-lived Antihero space, continues that legacy with a progressive take on the genre. Former Momotaro sushi chef Chris Vasquez oversees a menu featuring sustainably raised bluefin tuna, creative robata grill offerings, as well as more showy presentations like the shikotsu — thin-sliced A5 wagyu atop a cucumber roll that gets finished with torched marrow butter at the table.

Before taking the helm at TigerLily, Chris Vasquez honed his sushi skills at the Detroit location of Okemos-based sushi chain Maru, alongside a handful of other chefs now running kitchens in and around Detroit (Kyle Spina, Dominic McCord, et al). The young cooks learned under Maru culinary director Moon Yang, a Korean-born chef who created much of the Maru menu alongside founder Robert Song. And so, a trip to the mothership is always in order. Though sushi is the main draw here, the pair’s Korean background shows up in the bulgogi donburi bowl, its tender slices of marinated beef piled high with asparagus and mushrooms and other mixed vegetables over rice.

After three long years of slow build, the third outpost of this growing local sushi chain finally swung its doors open on 23 Mile Road in June. The formula remains the same as the Clinton Township and Detroit locations: a focused, approachable menu of hand-butchered sustainable fish, paired with rice in the form of reasonably priced rolls, bowls, and nigiri. There’s nothing flashy on the Goblin menu, but you don’t need flash when the fish is this fresh.

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Goblin co-founder Jin Cha recently struck out with this separate venture in Clinton Township. At Miyazaki Sushi & Sashimi, tucked into the end of a strip mall off a busy stretch of Hall Road, Cha builds on the classic sushi minimalism of Goblin with more fanciful rolls inspired by the world of Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki, plus a popular $20 daily omakase set of seven nigiri, larger sushi trays, and a few fish options you don’t see every day (dill-cured salmon, Korean fluke). Suddenly, Macomb County is swimming with sushi options.

Find more info here.