600! RH House – January 21, 2023 – Rochester Hills, MI

RH House, offering luxe dishes and drinks in a sophisticated setting! This is the perfect place to hole up on a chilly Saturday night with a ribeye steak and piece of cake. I speak from experience!

The restaurant based in Rochester Hills actually had me tempted to order a salad. I know I couldn’t have gone wrong with the RH Salad, a mix of greens, tangerine, apple, feta, candied pecans, dried cherries, red onion, and a honey-balsamic vinaigrette. But the 16-ounce ribeye called to me from the midst of the dinner menu. That menu features decadent pastas such as the Pappardelle Sausalito (pappardelle noodles tossed with hot Italian sausage, cremini and shiitake mushrooms, and a tomato-basil cream sauce) and Scallop Carbonara; seafood dishes including sea bass and teriyaki-glazed salmon; steaks, chops, and chicken (see the RH Prime Rib and a 28-ounce bone-in Tomahawk ribeye that’s been dry-aged for 28 days); sandwiches; starters; salads – even a Build Your Own Wagyu Burger with topping options such as Gruyère, egg, and garlic aioli.

Navigating through those tantalizing choices, I stuck with the ribeye, and I’m glad I did. It was the most beautiful piece of meat. Look at it, resplendent in its char-marked glory and glistening juices! It was absolutely as delicious as it looks, tender and flavorful. It was such a treat to enjoy with a mix of veggies and my starch of choice, a creamy risotto.

The richness persisted as I ended the meal with RH House’s Eight Layer Carrot Cake. As the name suggests, this was not a dainty petit four of a dessert. No, this was a veritable slab, studded with candied pecans, striated with layers of cream cheese frosting, and drizzled with caramel. It was an oh-so-decadent end to an already luxurious meal.

What a perfect place this was to celebrate my 600th visit for 100 Places in the D! Whether you’re looking to celebrate your own milestone or a run-of-the-mill Tuesday, you can’t go wrong with RH House. It’s open daily, and I’ve barely scratched the surface of its menus: it offers happy hour, lunch, brunch, a well-stocked bar – and of course, dinner and desserts.

2630 Crooks Rd.

Rochester Hills, MI 48309

www.rh.house

596. The Cheese Lady – December 21, 2022 – Rochester, MI

Compelling cheeses and Christmas cheer: that’s what The Cheese Lady was doling up this December!

The downtown Rochester location is one of seven in this female-run business. It’s the sole shop in the Metro-Detroit area, operating out of a grand Victorian house with sky-blue siding and gingerbread trim. The other six stores are further afield, in Michigan cities including Grand Rapids, Traverse City, and Muskegon.

Given The Cheese Lady’s name, it’s no surprise that the dairy-based good is its focus. But The Cheese Lady is no run-of-the-mill cheesemonger. According to its website, it has curated “an impressive selection of 150 artisan cheeses from all over the world.”

That’s a LOT of cheese! And I can attest to the impressiveness of The Cheese Lady’s selection. I went there to pick up a cheese that my friend loves, a mango-ginger Stilton. The white Stilton was studded with chunks of ginger and fruit. For myself, I got the delightfully aged Deer Creek 7 Year Cheddar. It was the perfect touch in a homemade mac ‘n’ cheese.

I went to The Cheese Lady for those tasty cheeses, but I was tempted to buy more. Neat displays of fruits, nuts, crackers, and jams festooned with holly garlands enticed me. The staff was brimming with holiday cheer, too. Everyone I encountered was lovely. Their helpful and kind customer service no doubt extends beyond the holiday season. That and the gorgeous selection of cheeses will bring me back to The Cheese Lady!

302 W. University Dr.

Rochester, MI 48307

https://thecheeselady.net

592. Apothecary Espresso & Coffee – November 4, 2022 – Farmington, MI

Apothecary Espresso & Coffee is a sanctuary, community space, and purveyor of carefully crafted caffeinated beverages, all wrapped into one!

The indie coffee shop had me in Farmington for the second time in two days – no small feat for a Metro-Detroiter who lives on the East Side! But how could I resist this oasis of gleaming wood floors, rich leather couches, vibrant potted plants, and overall coffee house calm? It was an ideal place to camp out for a couple of hours with my laptop, sipping first a tasty Dirty Chai latte, then a hot tea.

Apothecary offers coffee-, tea-, and espresso-based drinks that include choices such as the Honey Comb, an oat-milk-based latte infused with honey, house-made vanilla syrup, and cinnamon, and the decadent-looking Strawberry Cheesecake Matcha, a matcha latte with white chocolate and strawberry syrup. Baked goods are also available.

The coffee shop regularly hosts community events such as live music performances and poetry and comedy open mic nights. Recent events have include a talk with a Michigan senator and state representatives, a clothing drive, and free family photo sessions with Santa and Mrs. Claus.

23366 Farmington Rd.

Farmington, MI 48336

www.apothecaryfarmington.com

591. Ground Control Coffee Roasters – November 3, 2022 – Farmington, MI

Farmington is represented on 100 Places in the D! With a visit to Ground Control Coffee, a cozy coffee house with sweet baristas and flavor-packed brews.

The coffee shop in downtown Farmington is a great place to camp out and get work done, or settle into an armchair and catch up with a friend. Plus, its name is both a coffee-related pun AND a reference to a David Bowie song. How many coffee shops can boast such namesake bona fides?

Ground Control roasts its own beans, and the result is the richly flavored cappuccino I ordered. Coffee and espresso drink choices include a lavender-and-lemon-infused latte and the Vanilla Cream Nitro, a nitro cold brew coffee served with vanilla sweet cream (Wow!). A selection of tea drinks are also available, as are sweet and savory baked goods, including croissant varieties ranging from chocolate to the Goat Cheese, Olive & Oregano.

33319 Grand River Ave.

Farmington, MI 48336

www.groundcontrolroasters.com

588. Downtown Tarot Company – October 9, 2022 – Rochester, MI

Downtown Tarot Company, radiating good vibes throughout downtown Rochester and beyond!

The locally-owned shop sells a sweet selection of spiritually/metaphysically-geared books, crystals, candles, oracle cards, tarot decks, and more. It offers aura photography and physic readings incorporating tools such as tarot and astrology, plus classes on topics ranging from tarot card reading to crystal grids, spell casting to astrology.

During my visit to Downtown Tarot Company in early October, I delighted over its neatly curated collection of colorful crystals. Its candles were especially compelling. Downtown Tarot Company offers its own brand of hand-poured candles. There are zodiac-themed candles; candles embodying specific intentions (such as Protection and Abundance); a line with each candle featuring a different tarot card, crystal, and scent (the Divinatio collection). Candle-obsessed creature that I am, I was in heaven!

I decided on the Cleansing candle from Downtown Tarot Company’s Altare collection. The candle is white wax poured into a tall glass jar, lavender-scented and studded with bits of dried sage and quartz crystal. It’s a beauty! I’ve been breaking it out whenever soothing vibes are in order.

A special candle from a special place, right here in Metro-Detroit! And online. Yep, you can shop Downtown Tarot Company’s wares from the comfort of your own home – though I’d recommend visiting in-person if you can. After all, there’s nothing like an in-person new-place visit!

331 S. Main St.

Rochester, MI 48307

www.downtowntarot.com

587. Recipes – October 9, 2022 – Rochester, MI

Recipes, a pinnacle of brunch places! The restaurant based in downtown Rochester serves hearty, flavorful fare in a setting worthy of champagne sipping.

Recipes’ menu is chockful of breakfast choices. It’s got omelets for days (including a make-your-own omelet-skillet option), a plethora of pancakes, granola, hashes, frittatas – you name it! There are seven kinds of Eggs Benedict, and egg skillets with names such as Rambler (a sophisticated mix of mushroom, chicken, broccoli, almonds, onion, and hollandaise sauce) and Straggler (a mix of mushroom, ham, Cheddar Jack cheese, tomato, onion, and potato). It’s a cornucopia of a.m. options!

More of a lunch person? Recipes has got you covered. Burgers, sandwiches, wraps, salads, and Asian fare such as Pad Thai and Bun Thit Nuong Cha Gio (vermicelli noodles with grilled pork) are included on its menu.

Perennially the person favoring the lunch side of a brunch menu, I opted for Recipes’ Crunchy Thai Salad. The mix of fresh raw veggies (cabbage, cucumber, carrot, cilantro, green onion) and healthful protein (chicken breast and peanuts) were just what I needed after a night of birthday-celebration indulgence. Fried wontons, rice sticks, and Thai peanut dressing brought additional crunch and vibrance to this wonderfully tasty mix, which was served with cheese-topped garlic bread.

Alcohol is also offered at Recipes. It serves brunch-friendly cocktails such as the Irish Coffee and Bloody Mary – and, as do other brunch spots of its ilk, champagne and multiple kinds of mimosas.

Ready to sip, savor, and celebrate a day a brunch-i-ness? Look no further than Recipes Rochester!

134 W. University Dr.

Rochester, MI 48307

(With additional locations in Farmington Hills and Troy)

www.recipesinc.com

584. Sylvan Table – October 6, 2022 – Sylvan Lake, MI

Visiting Sylvan Table was a special experience! And not only because I visited it on a special day: my birthday. No, I would’ve gotten the warm-and-fuzzies from visiting this Sylvan Lake-based restaurant any day of the year.

There aren’t many restaurants like Sylvan Table. How many restaurants reside in a 300-year-old barn that was shipped from Metro Detroit to Maine? Or have both a wood-fired pizza oven AND grill? Or an on-site, three-acre farm including fruit trees and a beehive?

The restaurant’s singularity, its rustic beauty, and its dedication to locally-sourced ingredients and sustainability made it an obvious choice for my birthday dinner. And I was not disappointed by my visit. From the moment I walked onto Sylvan Table’s grounds and saw the gardens, greenhouses, and the barn, I was charmed.

Walking inside, I continued to be delighted by the two-story barn’s pretty, wood-plank interior bedecked with warm lighting, potted plants, and a welcoming fire in the glass-ceilinged solarium.

I dined on the restaurant’s second floor with my mom, who was celebrating my special day with me. Our friendly, attentive server gave us excellent service and patiently answered our questions about the menu.

Libation-wise, I was compelled to order the Peter Cocktail. Mezcal infused with orange bitters, a cinnamon syrup, and carrot and lime juices AND served in a pink peppercorn-rimmed glass? Yes, please! I loved the drink’s rich flavors and the fact that it wasn’t too sweet. Other current cocktail offerings include the Apple Butter Manhattan (with house-made apple butter) and the Hey, Gourdgeous! with maple-barrel-finished bourbon, pumpkin shrub, and fall-forward spices. Sylvan Table’s full bar includes a weighty wine list, plus multiple Michigan-made beers and hard ciders. Mocktails and non-alcoholic beer options are also available.

Food-wise, we started by sharing a Prosciutto Flatbread, which was delicious with its rich, salty prosciutto and Parmesan complemented by peppery arugula, garlic, lemon, and olive oil. The delectably chewy, wood-fired dough was my favorite part.

My dinner, the Deckle Steak, was EXCEPTIONAL. This was one of the most richly flavored steaks I’ve ever had! The tender, juicy steak would have been amazing on its own, but it was enhanced by a vibrant chimichurri sauce. Roasted carrot and fingerling potatoes rounded out this wonderful meal.

Other intriguing entrée choices at the time of my visit were the Harvest Fettuccine with various veggies, herbs, lemon, and Parmesan and the Chicken Under a Brick: chicken seasoned with rosemary and lemon salt and cooked in the wood-fired oven.

Mom-made birthday cake was waiting for me, so I didn’t have dessert at Sylvan Table. But if I did, I most definitely would have gotten the Peach Upside-Down Cake with spruce tip gelato if it was still on the menu – or the Carrot Cake currently on offer.

I look forward to returning to Sylvan Table to see what inventive dishes its kitchen cooks up next using beautifully fresh ingredients from local farms and its own. This was my first 100 Places visit to Sylvan Lake, but I suspect it won’t be my last!

1819 Inverness St.

Sylvan Lake, MI 48320

www.sylvantable.com

582. Mai Tiki Bar – September 30, 2022 – Ferndale, MI

Mai Tiki Bar is a sweet escape!

Tucked away behind an unmarked door inside TigerLily sushi bar (formerly Antihero), the Ferndale-based speakeasy tiki bar is a whimsical kaleidoscope of colors and flavors: the perfect contrast to the muted winter landscape soon to befall Metro Detroit.

Mai offers an array of tropically inspired drinks served in the way characteristic of tiki bars: in visually arresting ceramic tiki mugs bedecked with fun garnishes such as mint leaves, pineapple wedges, and orchid blooms – or half a flaming lime (that’s the garnish for The Zombie!). The bulk of Mai’s specialty cocktails incorporate rum and fruit juices – another trait characteristic of tiki bars. But the drinks are much more nuanced than the ones you’d find at a stereotypical tiki bar (those kinds that cater to tourists in popular vacation spots). Mai’s incorporate interesting ingredients such as orgeat syrup, cinnamon, and pomegranate.

Take one of the drinks I ordered, The Jungle Bird. Its blackstrap rum, Campari, and demerara syrup melded with pineapple and lime juices to make a drink that was one part sweet, one part bitter – and one hundred percent delicious! I especially enjoyed the molasses flavor brought by the blackstrap rum.

But humans can’t live on wonderfully nuanced liquid libations alone. When you’re in need of nourishment after downing a Mai Tai or two, look to Mai’s food menu. The assortment of plates offer something for everyone, from veg lovers to meat-focused folks to seafood fanatics intrigued by the Mai Tiki Shrimp, Aku Roll, and three kinds of fish tacos (salmon, hamachi, and tuna).

I went the veg and meat route, ordering Mai’s Chicken Karage and Shishito Peppers. A flavorful yuzu chili aioli accompanied the tender Chicken Karage. And wonder accompanied the Shishito Peppers! The cooked peppers were topped with bonito flakes, which were moving – writhing all over the peppers.

Apparently, this is a common occurance. Bonito flakes are shaved dried fish; when sprinkled on hot foods, the heat causes them to rehydrate, and they start wiggling as a result. But it was my first time experiencing this phenomenon, and it was hard to shake the feeling that they were alive. Order those Shishito Peppers and play a party trick on your friends!

Party trick or not, visiting Mai Tiki Bar is a shindig in itself. Vibrant ambiance and compelling food and drink make it a escape worth taking.

231 W. 9 Mile Rd.

Ferndale, MI 48220

www.maitikibar.com

575. Mugs Coffee & Grub – August 24, 2022 – White Lake, MI

Mugs Coffee & Grub makes a great coworking space! The White Lake-based coffee shop is clean and bright; the staff is pleasant; and it serves a mean cold brew.

I discovered all this during a visit in late August, when a friend and I spent the day working our fully-remote jobs together. Mid-morning, we took a break from her house and popped into Mugs for some sweet caffeine sipping and community mingling. I didn’t realize it then, but this was my first new-place visit in White Lake. Yes, White Lake is now represented on 100 Places in the D! [Cue the confetti!]

Mugs offers coffee- and tea-based drinks, smoothies, and milkshakes with names such as Oreoh! and Salted Caramel Pretzel. A photo on its website depicts the White Chocolate Strawberry milkshake with its drool-worthy layers of strawberry, mountain of whipped cream, and profusion of white chocolate chips.

Looking for food-based fuel to complement those shots of espresso you ordered? Mugs’ menu includes locally-made baked goods; breakfast items such as avocado toast and fruit-and-yogurt parfait; soups; and customized sandwiches that include your choice of bread, meat, cheese, and veggies (and the option of vegan turkey and cheddar for our plant-based friends).

With so much to love about this locally-owned coffee shop, Mugs is most definitely worth a visit!

330 Town Center Blvd., Unit D 102

White Lake, MI 48386

www.mugscoffeegrub.com

573. Bowlero – August 10, 2022 – Royal Oak, MI

Bowlero is a place to be! What a delightful time warp this bowling alley/bar is.

The locally-owned, Royal Oak-based Bowlero has been around since 1957. But its age isn’t the sole reason for its cool vintage looks; Bowlero was renovated in 2019. It’s intentionally retro, in a ’70s-heavy way, incorporating groovy design motifs, lots of orange, and throwback programming playing on the TVs (Grease the night I was there). The women’s room alone is a selfie-lover’s dream with its flashy pink-and-orange wallpaper, mirrors with cartoonishly-shaped frames holding cans of Aqua Net, and a Ms. Pac Man arcade game.

The area of Bowlero that has a decidedly more contemporary feel is the lounge. Retro elements are incorporated into the decor of the long, narrow room, but it has a more hipster than hippie feel. The bar serves up wine, beer and hard cider (including multiple Michigan brews), and specialty cocktails featuring Michigan-made spirits (Two James, Valentine, Detroit City Distillery, Petoskey’s Gypsy Vodka). One such cocktail is Bowlero’s take on a White Russian, The Bowlero Orange Russian: a blend of Gypsy Vodka, Tia Maria, Cointreau, and vegan creamer.

Besides offering 16 lanes of bowling and seasonal bowling leagues, Bowlero regularly features no-cover live music (every Friday and Saturday), themed nights (Punk Nite and 80s Video Night being two examples), karaoke, and other events. Check this calendar for the current line-up, then boogie on over to Bowlero!

4209 Coolidge Hwy.

Royal Oak, MI 48073

www.bowlerodetroit.com