692. Whiskey Rae’s – February 16, 2024 – Rochester Hills, MI

Unwind at Whiskey Rae’s!

The Rochester Hills-based restaurant and bar offers a thorough assortment of its eponymous liquor, plus cocktails, craft beer, wine, and other spirits. Its down-to-earth, industrial-chic interior scores bonus points from me for the chalkboards upon which are scrawled drink recipes and whimsical whiskey-related sayings such as “Oh look it’s whiskey o’clock” and “Bourbon/noun/magic brown water for fun people.”

And a DEFINITE shout-out is in order for the female bartender who served my friend and me when we sat at the bar during our visit. She was everything: a friendly source of recommendations who offered great service, talked Red Wings hockey with me, and intuitively ran interference when a male patron at the bar got too persistent in his advances toward me (thanks for looking out, girl!). Her endorsement for Whiskey Rae’s Smoked Meatloaf was oh-so on-point; it was INCREDIBLE with its slow-smoked ground brisket and pork rib, peppers and onions.

Paired with asparagus and redskin mashed potatoes, the tender, flavorful meatloaf was a decadent – yet wholesome – meal. I washed it down with a Whiskey Rae’s Breakfast of Champions cocktail, a delightful concoction of bourbon, apple brandy, maple syrup, black walnut bitters, and orange.

Decadent options abound on Whiskey Rae’s food menu, which features elevated pub fare and seafood- and meat-centric dishes, including sandwiches, sliders, entrée salads, pizza, burgers, and dishes such as Braised Short Rib, Sesame Ahi Tuna, and Dry Rubbed Chicken Pasta – all ideal options for your next end-of-day unwind.

2086 Crooks Rd.

Rochester Hills, MI 48309

www.whiskeyraes.com

691. Time Will Tell – February 14, 2024 – Detroit, MI

Sweetly suspend time at Time Will Tell!

I love the vibes of this New Center-based bar: warm, welcoming, timeless. It markets itself as a neighborhood bar on its website, and it feels like exactly that: the kind of place where friends and neighbors come for a drink after work, for weekend revelry; whether solo or in groups, it doesn’t matter. Because Time Will Tell is the kind of place that fosters friendships.

Maybe it’s the retro vibes of the place that evoke that feeling for me. Or maybe it’s the fact that I struck up conversations with both the bartender serving me and the lovely woman who sat to the left of me at the bar, a Time Will Tell regular. She shared that she would be hosting her daughter’s upcoming baby shower there – and I was like, YES, totally on-point choice! With its pink and green floral wallpaper and leather banquettes, checkered flooring and wood-planked ceiling, neon-lit jukebox glowing in one corner and glimmers of sunshine peeking through draped windows, Time Will Tell exudes ultra ambiance; its darling ’70s-esque charm is EVERYTHING. I would be honored to host or attend a shower or event here!

Speaking of hosting: Time Will Tell regularly holds classes by vendors such as Detroit Rose and other events. I was there for one such special event: a collaboration with Bon Bon Bon that paired one of its handcrafted bons with a cocktail inspired by it. The menu was crafted especially for Valentine’s Day and featured three drinks: all with intriguing flavor combinations and singular ingredients such as balsamic blackberry syrup and rosewater – fitting accompaniments to the similarly flavor-nuanced bons. These drinks’ richness and complexity echoed those of the cocktails on Time Will Tell’s mainstay menu, which features offerings such as Cher’s Diary (I’m OBSESSED with that name), a mix of Valentine Distilling’s White Blossom vodka, Norden Pink aquavit, Aperol, sour orange juice, soda, and egg white. Beer, wine, and an extensive spirits selection are also showcased.

Of the choices on the Valentine Day’s menu, I opted for the Warmer Days Ahead, a concoction of Suze aperitif, tequila, crème de peche liqueur, red bell pepper juice, citrus oleo, and allspice dram characterized on the menu as a “herbaceous and zesty highball.” It was delightfully refreshing! It came topped with a fresh marigold flower and with the Aquarius bon that inspired its flavors, a delicious and decadent concoction of chocolate, champagne, orange marmalade, and caramelized white chocolate.

What a treat to savor this wonderful cocktail and chocolate! To make an after-work Wednesday – and Valentine’s Day – feel special. To fill my cup with connection. And to experience the timeless allure of Time Will Tell.

6408 Woodward Ave.

Detroit, MI 48202

www.timewilltelldet.com

690. The Flower Peddler – February 13, 2024 – Clinton Township, MI

Feast your eyes on fresh blooms at The Flower Peddler!

The flower shop is a Clinton Township institution, holding court across from Resurrection Cemetery for as long as I can remember. To my memory, however, I hadn’t been there prior to this February, when I stepped in to buy a bouquet.

The options were dizzying. Vibrant mixed bouquets; bouquets of tulips, daffodils, roses . . .. I went with a simple bouquet of white tulips. But I could have spent an hour deliberating over all of the available pre-made options, or worked with The Flower Peddler team to design my own bouquet.

Given The Flower Peddler’s proximity to the cemetery, it makes sense that grave blankets and memorial wreaths are a big part of its business. Its arrangements are beautiful tributes to passed loved ones.

Flowers are so vibrant, yet so fragile. Maybe that’s what makes them such a fitting vehicle for in-memoriams. I’d like to enjoy their beauty more while I’m alive. Thanks, The Flower Peddler, for helping me do that!

38350 Garfield Rd.

Clinton Township, MI

689. Dose of Sugar – February 13, 2024 – Hamtramck, MI

Make sweet dreams come true at Dose of Sugar!

The Hamtramck bakery and coffee shop sells its fresh-baked treats – including cakes, cookies, muffins, bagels, and cheesecakes – plus shakes, smoothies, and coffee drinks. The latter category includes both classic espresso-bar options and more contemporary caffeinated beverages: nitro cold brew and White Chocolate Matcha lattes, for example.

From its turquoise walls to velvet upholstery, twinkle-light strands and viny greenery, Dose of Sugar’s shop is an absolute oasis, the kind I can easily spend hours holed up in – especially since there’s sustenance in the form of caffeine and sweet treats!

The bathroom – of all places – contains treats, too. Positive affirmations are written in silver pen all over one wall – phrases such as “You are fierce,” “You are capable,” and “You can, and you will.” These words made an especial impact on me at the time I visited Dose of Sugar; I was in a place where I needed the reminders they brought. Thank you, kindhearted strangers who scrawled on the wall at Dose of Sugar, so I and others could be uplifted for years to come! And thank you, Dose of Sugar, for providing a space that is nourishing for both stomach and spirit.

3630 Caniff St.

Hamtramck, MI 48212

www.doseofsugarcafe.com

688. New Palace Bakery – February 13, 2024 – Hamtramck, MI

New Palace Bakery is a Fat Tuesday institution!

The family-owned Polish bakery has held court in Hamtramck since 1908 and has long been been a Paczki Day legend, attracting loads of pre-orders, local news coverage, and a walk-up line that wraps around the building. Many people deliberately choose the walk-up option, one bakery worker told me, for the joy the tradition of standing in line brings. She recommended I try it next year.

I was a pre-order patron of New Palace Bakery on Paczki Day this year, and I was pretty content with that choice that brought me to my sweet, sweet box of delicious donuts that.much.sooner. I ordered New Palace Bakery’s Specialty Paczki box lined with one dozen delicious donuts, including such delightful flavor varieties as Honey Cream Dream, Triple Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Jelly, and Orange Creamski.

With this order, I fulfilled a bucket-list dream: to visit a Hamtramck bakery on Paczki Day. I wanted to experience the crowds and conviviality this beloved local tradition attracts. And while I didn’t have to wait in the walk-up line, I still had ample time to soak up the experience while I waited for about 15 minutes in the pre-order line, which queued at a different door and allowed me to stand in a little lobby containing a window counter through which I could watch the goings-on of the bakery: the throngs of patrons, the staff doling out boxes, the news cameraman filming it.

It felt special to receive my cardboard box of New Palace Bakery paczkis, tied up with string and stamped with the bakery’s logo and the logos of organizations it’s received recognition from for its place as “The official paczki headquarters” (as proclaimed on its box), including Thrillist and Food Network.

It felt even more special to bite into my first New Palace paczki, which I did as soon as I got to my car. A bite of the Triple Chocolate paczki led to me devouring its yeasty-fresh, lightly-fried dough filled with decadent chocolate buttercream, its chocolate frosting dotted with mini chocolate chips that made a mess of my car (WORTH IT!). The experience was even more special in that it was my first taste of a traditional baked good of the year; my first six weeks of 2024 were spent exploring a gluten-free diet.

I shared most of the remaining paczkis with family and friends, but I did also try the Strawberry Cheesecake and Peanut Butter and Jelly paczkis, and they were delicious, as well.

I loved the creativity of the Specialty Paczki box flavors – but if you’re more of a purist, you may find the other Paczki Day box options to be more up your alley. Pre-order box options are listed on New Palace Bakery’s website. This year’s other pre-order options included dozen and half-dozen boxes, with flavor combinations including one to three flavors per box.

New Palace Bakery sells a lot more than paczkis, of course – it’s got cookies, cakes, pies, breads, and pastries, too. Visit any day of the year for a chance to savor the sugary goodness!

9833 Joseph Campau Ave.

Hamtramck, MI 48212

www.newpalacebakery.com

100 Places in the D’s Top Ten Places Visited in Blog Year Ten!

Blog Year Ten of 100 Places in the D was chockful of new-place goodness! Here are the ten places I visited during that timeframe (February 8, 2023 to February 7, 2024) that I consider the best of the best.

Mad Nice (#634, Detroit): My visit to this Midtown hot spot is one of my happiest memories of 2023. Glamming up a Wednesday by getting fancy with two of my best gals in a restaurant that reigns supreme in ambiance, service, and flavor? Yes, PLEASE! (Plus, it gives you scissors to cut your pizza – which is endlessly fascinating to those of us who have visited.)

Alchemi (#626, Royal Oak): Ahh, where do I even START with this one? Alchemi was my favorite visit of Blog Year Ten, by far; I’ve been there three times, and I’ve not ceased in being smitten with it. Every time, I’ve ordered the Lamb Ragu, and every time, it’s been INCREDIBLE. Every time, the service is wonderful; the Madagascar Express espresso martini is a REVELATION! Consistently exceptional – that’s Alchemi.

North End Taproom (#678, Royal Oak): High vibes and agency abound at this taproom where guests get to pour their own beers. The food and tap selection are great; the conviviality it fosters is unmatched!

Giovanni’s (#653, Detroit): Obviously, this O.G. of Italian restaurants made the list. It’s been in operation since 1968 and served Sinatra. Its food and drink are EXCEPTIONAL! And its got moody, old-school-Italian vibes for days – the kind that instantly amp up my quarter-Italian ancestry.

Flavors of Jamaica (#619, Pontiac): Oh-so on-point Caribbean food I could consume daily: that’s Flavors of Jamaica to me! How does it make steamed cabbage taste SO good??? That’s one of the great mysteries of life I’m grateful exists.

Marrow (#649, Detroit): The hog-butchery class I took at Marrow was one of the most fascinating things I’ve done. Who knew I’d get such a kick out of using a bone saw? I don’t know if I should be proud or disturbed by that revelation. What I do know is that I’m SUPER impressed by Marrow’s dedication to sourcing and selling ethically-raised meat, using as much of an animal as possible, and producing quality, value-packed classes that attract great people.

Leila (#655, Detroit): Wonderful food, flavors, and vibes make this Lebanese restaurant an extra-special one! Whether you’re commemorating a birthday (I celebrated my 39th here!) or the end of a hard workday, it’s wholly celebration-worthy.

Detroit Rose (#614, Detroit): The candle-making class I took at this woman-owned, Southwest Detroit-based shop that produces and sells handcrafted candles and body care products was a highlight of my year. I want to be besties with owner Elaine and the ladies who showed up to this session; their vibes were phenomenal!

Sidetrack Bookshop (#652, Royal Oak): Sweet indie bookshops always capture my heart – so of course, I’m smitten by Sidetrack! But it garners bonus points for its robust book-club program and commitment to inclusivity.

Barefoot Blossom Farm (#646, Ortonville): A flower-farm oasis that allows you to pick, cut, and arrange its bounty into your own beautiful bouquet? Yes, yes, and YES!

100 Places in the D’s Year Ten Review!

*Malek Al-Kabob (#639), a Year Ten visit*

100 Places in the D recently celebrated its ten-year anniversary! On February 8. Cue the confetti – a recap post is in order!

I didn’t achieve any of the goals I set for Year Ten of the blog, which ran from February 8, 2023 through February 7, 2024. I visited two new-to-the-blog cities instead of five; I visited 20 new-to-me places in Detroit instead of 24. And I most certainly did NOT blog consistently, taking an unplanned seven-month break between posts (inertia got me yet again!).

But this was my third best year in terms of volume of visits, behind Year One (102) and Year Five (86), and the fourth best in terms of number of cities visited (25). And even when I wasn’t blogging, I was still getting SO much joy from visiting new places. The work of 100 Places in the D – this hobby I started as a way to coax myself to try new restaurants – has informed my life so much more than I expected, bringing loads of life-expanding happiness and adventure. Here’s to another ten years of that!

And here’s to another go-around for those Year Ten goals! I’m going to take another crack at them in Blog Year Eleven:

Blog consistently. Only take weeks off for vacations and crazy-busy seasons of my life, and don’t go more than two weeks without posting.
Visit at least 24 new-to-me places in the city of Detroit.
Highlight five new-to-the-blog cities.

I got them this time; I can feel it! (And being a perpetual optimist doesn’t hurt.)

I’ll wrap up this recap post by geeking-out on stats. Here’s a breakdown of the number of new-to-me establishments I visited in Blog Year Ten, by city and county:

Number of places visited in Blog Year Ten: 79

Number of cities visited: 25

Breakdown by county: Oakland: 31; Wayne: 30; Macomb: 18

Breakdown by city:

Detroit: 20

Royal Oak: 8

Dearborn: 7

Ferndale: 5

Mount Clemens: 5

Rochester: 5

Sterling Heights: 4

Clawson: 3

Clinton Township: 2

Garden City: 2 (New-to-the-blog city!)

Shelby Township: 2

Troy: 2

Utica: 2

Commerce Township: 1

Lake Orion: 1

Macomb: 1

Madison Heights: 1

New Baltimore: 1

Northville: 1

Ortonville: 1 (New-to-the-blog city!)

Pontiac: 1

Riverview: 1

Rochester Hills: 1

Washington: 1

Waterford: 1

687. Jim Brady’s – February 3, 2024 – Royal Oak, MI

Dine Detroit-style at Jim Brady’s!

The current iteration of this restaurant concept established in 1954 is in downtown Royal Oak. But Jim Brady’s started off in the heart of Detroit: its original location was at Seven Mile Road and Greenfield. And the Royal Oak restaurant pays homage to its roots, with both the 1950s and the D represented in its decor. Furnishings are rich and retro; replications of Detroit street signs stand sentry at the row of booths. Pink tile and payphones line the walls of the ladies room.

Jim Brady’s menu pays homage to its roots, too. Nods to its past include the Jim Brady Chili, 7 Mile Caesar, and the Diamond Jim Brady’s Special Sandwich – all recipes carried over from its original location. The food menu showcases a collection of soups, salads, burgers, sandwiches, pastas, and seafood- and meat-centric dishes, including a 26-day-dry-aged, bone-in strip steak and an avocado bacon risotto dressed with blackened shrimp, candied lemon zest, and barbecue sauce infused with Faygo Rock & Rye. The bar menu offers a robust selection of bourbons, tequilas, and other liquors, plus wine and craft cocktails.

Don’t sleep on Jim Brady’s Crispy Brussels! They are INCREDIBLE with their toasted pecans, dried cherries, and cherry-maple vinaigrette. I could’ve made a meal of them – but I happily shared them with friends and saved room for The Original Bad Axe Burger, a delicious amalgamation of beef patty, bacon, smoked Gouda, fried onion straws, and a maple bourbon barbecue sauce. Detroit-style dining at its finest!

1214 S. Main St.

Royal Oak, MI 48067

www.jimbradysdetroit.com

686. Charminar Biryani House – February 2, 2024 – Detroit, MI

Be charmed by Charminar Biryani House and its exquisite Indian cuisine!

The downtown Detroit-based restaurant bursts with color and good cheer, from the gorgeous mural that greets guests when they walk in the door to the robin’s-egg-blue walls, the sea of lanterns hanging from the ceiling. And its food bursts with flavor.

Charminar Biryani House’s chicken vindaloo is incredible! It’s tender chunks of chicken and potatoes luxuriating in a rich, spicy sauce and OH-so-yum. Served with basmati rice, this is the perfect lunchtime meal.

Speaking of perfect lunchtime meals: Charminar Biryani House offers plenty of them! Its menu includes a plethora of choices, including options for vegetarians, pescatarians, and meat-eaters – from lamb korma to shrimp curry, goat dum biryani to okra masala. Open for both lunch AND dinner, Charminar Biryani House is an ideal choice for either!

1226 Griswold St.

Detroit, MI 48226

(With additional locations in Midtown Detroit and Troy)

www.charminarmi.com

685. Cafe Sous Terre – February 2, 2024 – Detroit, MI

Slip away to Cafe Sous Terre!

Down a flight of steps off Forest street, in the Midtown/Cass Corridor neighborhood of Detroit, sits this basement-level café: a pretty space punctuated by pops of turquoise, exposed brick walls, bold black-and-white tiled floors, and paper lantern light fixtures festooned with gold bows, exuding the charm of the French cafés it emulates.

By day, Cafe Sous Terre is a coffee house, buzzing with activity the morning of my visit. I sit on a plush banquette seat at one of the marble tables at the back of the cafe, joining a mini-legion of remote workers, and spend a couple of hours in a pleasant flow state precipitated by delectable caffeinated beverages (oat-milk cappuccino and double espresso: two of my go-tos!) and the felt camaraderie of communing with strangers in a shared space.

By night, Cafe Sous Terre is also a bar. The glittering rows of liquor bottles on display are employed to craft classic and signature cocktails incorporating intriguing ingredients such as pink peppercorn, rosemary lemon olive oil, marigold, and spiced golden plum syrup. European beers and wines are also served.

I’m a SUCKER for cocktails with exotic ingredients, so I obviously need to return to Cafe Sous Terre once bar service begins at 4 and order a Romance Two Ways, its signature cocktail consisting of brown-butter mezcal, reposado tequila, Cynar, rouge vermouth, vanilla French oak, spice tincture, and lime. Booze- AND flavor-forward: just how I like my cocktails!

Whether you choose to visit Cafe Sous Terre by day or night, you’ll find sustenance in the form of its food menu showcasing French cuisine. Dine on rich Quiche Provence with sun-dried-tomato pesto and d’Affinois cheese, or oh-so-decadent Croque Monsieur with toasted buttered bread, Parisian ham, creamy bechamel, and ooey-gooey Gruyère and Emmental cheeses. Snack on the twice-pickled House Olives; savor sweet clafoutis or crème brûlée. Know you’ve lived your day well, savoring richly-flavored food and drink at this place, Cafe Sous Terre, that (rightly) prioritizes the finer things in life!

445 W. Forest Ave.

Detroit, MI 48201