The September Hit List: Brine Oyster House, Bar Pigalle, Grey Ghost, and More

The burgeoning entertainment district just across Detroit’s eastern border welcomed a view of New Orleans last month, as Chamberlain Hospitality Group debuted its latest stunner, Brine Oyster House. While the aesthetic screams “Big Easy,” the menu at Brine is decidedly Grosse Pointe Park, with a focus on freshly shucked oysters and seasonal seafood rounded out by crowd-pleasing entrees like steak frites, burgers, and fancy fish sticks. Keep a line out for the “seacuterie” cart that rolls through the dining room, flaunting a selection of interesting crudos, smoked shrimp, and tartares finished tableside by executive chef Gavin Russell.

Moving from one French quarter to another: Bar Pigalle, the Brush Park bistro from Detroit beverage veterans Travis Fourmont and Joseph Allerton, recently welcomed a new chef and added weekend brunch to its offerings. Now under the purview of Detroit-area restaurant veteran Norm Valenti, the kitchen puts out decadent croque madames and shallot tartes tatin from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays while continuing to lean into its French-by-way-of-Detroit roots during dinner seven days a week. That means French country-style terrine, Lyonnaise potatoes, and asparagus gribiche, but also bar burgers on brioche and big honkin’ rib eyes with Robuchon potatoes. Because why would you mess with a winning formula?

French for “coffee underground,” this subterranean cafe and bar debuted in the basement of an old Midtown mansion last month, channeling a chill Parisian cafe where you can sip espresso from Detroit’s Coffeehaus by day and switch to something a little more fortifying as night falls. General manager Joel Jones previously cut his teeth at Dessert Oasis Coffee Roasters and Weiss Distilling Co., a fitting resume for someone running a hybrid bar-cafe. In an effort to appeal to Wayne State University students who make up much of the neighborhood’s mix, cocktail prices at Sous Terre tend to run under $12. Santé to that!

Find more info here.

The French trend also hit trendy Ferndale this summer with the debut of Coeur (French for “heart”), but its presence here is more subtle, kept mostly to name, technique, and approach than anything resembling classic grande cuisine. “New American” is how chef Jordan Smith bills his new restaurant, which opened in the old Assaggi Bistro space in August. The well-traveled chef puts out inspired small plates (and a few larger ones) in a relatively casual environment, while former Per Se sommelier Sean Crenny oversees the wine program. A five-course tasting menu for $89 is also available. And weekend brunch? Oui.

Call 248-466-3010 for reservations.

It’s hard to believe that July already marked seven years since this Brush Park “cuts & cocktails” gem opened its doors to what was at that time still a relatively quiet neighborhood. Much has changed amid the development all around it, but the Ghost presses on steadily (as in: always full) with its town-favorite bar burger and playful Midwestern steakhouse menu. The changes inside have been more subtle, but they’re also there when you look. For one, the Chicago-style oysters that have graced the menu since day one are no more, and the trademark fried bologna set now comes as a haute mini corn dog, as executive chef Anthony Patton continues to make his mark on the menu. Same goes for sous chef Noelle Prater, whose Ferrari red soup dumplings stuffed with fall-apart short rib — doused tableside in marrow broth — may just have been the sleeper hit of the summer.

September 5 marks the two-year anniversary of Mudgie’s Deli founder Greg Mudge’s tragic death at 46, which broke the hearts of all who knew and loved him, leaving a hole in the Detroit restaurant community that won’t soon be filled. His legacy lives on at the bustling Corktown deli, now run by his widow, Liza Puligni, and a team of dedicated staff. Some service changes have eased the transition: Orders now are placed directly by each guest through a QR code menu and online ordering system. Servers then run Mudgie’s famous soups and sandwiches out, answer questions, and clear plates. The lush garden patio, one of Detroit’s best outdoor lunch spots, is also available to enjoy for carryout orders.

Pro tip: If overwhelmed by the options, just remember that Mudgie’s vegan corned beef Reuben hits all the required Reuben notes without the additional feelings of heaviness and guilt that can accompany the traditional version.

Find more info here.

After 18 years, the Cooley family — founders of what was for a number of years the most talked-about restaurant in Detroit — reportedly sold their remaining shares in the bustling barbecue business earlier this year. Thankfully, Slows’s new ownership includes founding chef Brian Perrone, who’s been steering the bulk of the operational ship since the beginning. New to the mix, however, is a strategic partnership with New York’s Mighty Quinn’s Barbecue, signaling expansion plans for the Detroit stalwart. That means you may see Slows’s beloved mac ‘n’ cheese and pulled pork sandwiches popping up elsewhere across the state soon.

Leila’s Lebanese sundaes were the talk of the town following the annual Hospitality Included event at Chroma Detroit in early August. Afternoon rain sent attendees of the culinary event featuring many of Detroit’s best chefs scrambling for shelter inside, where the Leila team greeted them with cones of ashta ice cream topped with fairy floss and crushed pistachios. Summer’s been humming back at the restaurant, too, having recently reopened on Mondays for a full seven-day service window. Because you never know when that craving for Middle Eastern mezze and shish kafta might strike.

The name may suggest shopping, but the game at Siri Pipatsattayanuwong’s Royal Oak spot is the kind of food you might find at the stalls of a bustling Thai market. It might just be the mix needed to put an end to the rotation of short-lived restaurant concepts at the former Essen and Pizza Rustica location. Alongside takeout staples (pad thai, drunken noodle, et al), Kacha offers a wider than usual array of satays, skewered meats, and meatball dishes, as well as an excellent Hat Yai-style fried chicken not often seen in the Detroit area. Also less common here are the boat noodles, floating in a thickened dark broth that seemingly contains all of the best secrets of the flavor universe. (Google it.)

Find more info here.

After more than three years of planning, plotting, and unforeseen delays, the modern Indian Eastern Market food stall Midnight Temple finally opened its sit-down restaurant earlier this summer. Well, kinda. While the main kitchen gets built out so the menu can expand, owner Akash Sudhakara has opened indoor seating for guests who order from Midnight Temple’s food cart outside. The heat from Hakka noodles, tikka rollups, and masala hibachi rice pairs well with the full bar inside.

Find more info here.