552. Strawberry Fields – April 3, 2022 – New Baltimore, MI

Strawberry Fields, I’m so pleased to have met you and your phenomenal Reuben sandwich!

I’d been enthralled by this New Baltimore-based restaurant since discovering a couple of years ago that it’s not your average eatery. Strawberry Fields is a Beatles-themed restaurant!

Probably this shouldn’t have surprised me, given the restaurant’s name. All I know is that I was laughing really hard when a friend’s husband read me some of the headings from the very punny menu (I have a Dad-joke sense of humor, so puns are wont to make me LOL). “I Wanna Hold Your Hash” and “Eight ‘Crepes’ a Week” are two favorites of mine.

I knew I had to experience the place firsthand – and I finally did one Sunday afternoon in early April. Many people shared that same desire; Strawberry Fields was kicking! Whether attracted by the puns, the walls lined with Beatles memorabilia, or the well-stocked menu, people were out enjoying “The Fields” (as my friend calls it) that day.

The restaurant serves breakfast and lunch/dinner dishes (as of this writing, it’s open until 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and until 2 p.m. Sundays and Mondays). Breakfast lovers will be enthused by the plethora of choices: crepes and omelets and French toasts and hashes and SO many kinds of pancakes (nine) and waffle dishes (seven). Those who prefer more afternoon-focused fare – as I do – are sure to find a salad, sandwich, hamburger, pita wrap, plate of pasta, fish dish, or other entrée item that intrigues them. A full bar makes for plenty of beverage choices, too.

I ordered the Dr. Robert’s Reuben (from the “Yellow Submarine Sandwiches” section of the menu, naturally) and was SO into its melted Swiss, piles of tender pastrami, zingy sauerkraut, Thousand Island dressing, and crispy-toasted, butter-saturated rye bread. YUM!

You don’t have to be a lover of puns or the Beatles to enjoy Strawberry Fields. You simply need to be a lover of good food, which Strawberry Fields has in spades!

51070 S. Foster Rd.

New Baltimore, MI 48047

www.strawberryfieldsdining.com

551. Black Cat Coffee – March 25, 2022 – Mount Clemens, MI

Black Cat Coffee, a place where you want to be a regular!

I don’t appear to be the only one who espouses that sentiment about the indie coffee house based in downtown Mount Clemens. From what I’ve experienced of Black Cat, it attracts repeat customers – and for good reason. The baristas are super welcoming, happy to chat you up, recommend a drink – even make change so you can feed your parking meter. The shop is beautiful: a soothing-glam oasis with its gleaming tin ceilings, scarlet walls, potted plants, and crystal chandeliers. And the drinks! The drinks are oh-so-delicious, perfect little infusions of caffeine and flavor.

I’ve visited Black Cat twice now, savoring those tasty drinks during remote-work sessions. Its cappuccino is rich and creamy; its nitro cold brew is full of flavor. Its Spicy Cougar signature drink is phenomenal, a deliciously sweet, spicy, chocolatey concoction. And its Café Miel! Black Cat’s take on the classic espresso drink infused with steamed milk and honey is SO good. That’s going to become a regular in my rotation, for sure.

Visiting new-to-me places is (obviously) an obsession of mine. But some places are so good, I can’t help but revisit. Black Cat Coffee is one of those places. I see myself returning again and again to this sweet little coffee-lover’s haven.

55 Macomb Pl.

Mt. Clemens, MI 48043

www.coffeeatblackcat.com

550. Sahara Mediterranean Grill – March 20, 2022 – Shelby Township, MI

Sahara Mediterranean Grill: SO worthy of a revisit!

I want to dine in this Shelby Township restaurant’s gorgeous dining room, with its sleek neutrals (white walls, black marble, black leather banquettes, gleaming gold accents, honeycomb-tile mosaic of white, black, gray, and gold), its glitz and glam (chandeliers of interlocking crystal-and-gold squares) and pops of color (chairs upholstered in turquoise velvet). I want to order a glass of wine and joke with the friendly and funny owner. And the food! I want to savor all of it: the kabobs and the kafta, the shawarma and the eggplant salad and the garlic sauce – lots and LOTS of garlic sauce.

I didn’t dine in during this visit to Sahara. I ordered carryout after a busy afternoon of errands and picked it up and wished I were dining in. But once I got home, I was totally content to be there with my stash of delicious food. The hummus was decadently rich and creamy and came in a much larger portion than I’d expected (it filled a standard-sized to-go container). The fattoush salad was fresh and flavorful, with deliciously zesty dressing. I especially loved it with the shawarma chicken add-on. That chicken was SO good! It was perfectly seasoned and perfectly tender.

My home is much less elegant than Sahara’s dining room, but Sahara’s food elevated my environment that Sunday evening.

45199 Market St.

Shelby Twp., MI 48315

www.saharagrill.com

549. Mootz Pizzeria – March 13, 2022 – Detroit, MI

A visit to Mootz Pizzeria was the perfect way to celebrate 313 Day!

My trip to Mootz was also my first new-place visit in almost five weeks, and the first of Blog Year Nine. What a way to kick it off! Mootz’s food is fantastic. The Greek Salad is an amped-up version of the classic with its fresh arugula, feta chunks, red onion, cucumbers, Kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes, and zesty Greek dressing. The kicker is the mini stuffed grape leaf on top. Delicious! Come to Mootz for this salad alone.

And stay at Mootz for the pizza. Laden with red sauce, fresh mozzarella, pepperoni, and basil leaves and kissed with spicy honey, the Bee Sting pie is AMAZING! I’m not generally a pepperoni person, but I love the pepperoni that curls up into little cups (there’s something about it!), and Mootz has that. The combination of the savory pepperoni and sweet and spicy honey is SO good!

Mootz’s menu contains several salads – one being the incredible-sounding Library salad, whose ingredients include grilled chicken, bacon, radishes, and candied pecans. The appetizer section contains Italian classics such as caprese, burrata, and bruschetta, while the entrées include several pasta dishes and hoagies. I’m sure those are delicious, but I can’t see myself ever coming to Mootz and bypassing their pies. There are too many enticing options to choose from, from the Bee Sting to the Juliet (beguiling with its fig jam, balsamic glaze, gorgonzola, green onion, prosciutto, pecorino, and shaved Parmesan) to the five-cheese Holy Cheesus.

The drink menu includes some pretty enticing options, too. Mootz offers a full bar with a selection of craft cocktails – one being the whimsically named Baby Got Spice (described on the menu as a “smokey and spicy margarita”). If Baby’s got spice, then Mootz has got the fun and flavor!

1230 Library St.

Detroit, MI 48226

www.mootzpizzeria.com