Detroit, Michigan 2016 (various eateries)

I recently visited several cities within one whirlwind of a week of traveling. Detroit was my first stop. I wasn't expecting too much from Detroit, but the few hours that I spent there was pleasant. The people were very friendly and welcoming, the city was making efforts to revive itself and the eats and drinks were delightful.

Here are some of the things I've enjoyed.


Masri Sweets
5755 Schaefer Road, Dearborn MI
http://www.masrisweets.com/
This middle eastern bakery had a very large display case full of many varieties of arabic specialties like baklava, cakes, and cookies. They even had very tasty looking american pastries and cakes. I was very happy to learn that they ship some of their products within the U.S. I ended up getting a tray of their middle eastern treats and I was very happy with my selection. These varied from namora, different baklavas, burma with ishta filling, and graibeh. So delicious.

Petit Four Cookies. These were a variety of butter cookies. Some had caraway seeds, chocolate and/or pistachios. One cannot go wrong at this store. Just point at anything and prepare to be delighted.

Chartreuse
15 E. Kirby Street, Suite D, Detroit MI
www.chartreuseKC.com
This was a very colorful oasis amidst the cold, gray midtown Detroit exterior. I was happy to find a place that supported local farmers and foragers and I looked forward to the food.


Last Word. With gin, chartreuse green, lime juice and maraschino. This cocktail had an excellent balance of sweet and tart.

Gon Naw Git. I ordered this mostly because I just wanted to say the name. Made with rye, Averna and lemon juice, this was a very nice bourbon drink.

Bread and maple garlic butter. Crusty bread served with house made maple garlic butter. Sometimes, it's the little things that add to the experience.

Vegetable Caesar. With broccolini, local greens, peas, duck cracklins, locatelli, grilled kale, kohlrabi, red onion and croutons. If you're a garlic lover, this one's for you. This was garlicky with a healthy mix of many textures and flavors.

Twice Cooked Egg. As eggs are my weakness, I could not pass this up. Frisee, brussels sprouts, pea tendrils, parmesan cheese, and warm shallot vinaigrette rounded out the salad. The egg, as one can see below, was perfectly fried.

Roasted pork and Pappardelle. Tender, fall-apart roasted pork was mixed into perfectly al dente pappardelle and covered with parmesan cheese. The sauce was savory and the cheese gave it a wonderful salty nuttiness. Delicious.

Berkshire Pork Belly. Fork tender pork was served with ten year cheddar grits, romesco sauce, arugula pesto and fried onion rings. You can't go wrong with pork.

I wished I had just a little more time in Detroit, however, from the experience I had, I wouldn't hesitate to come back and stay a bit longer next time.

Casa Cubana--Oakland (Cuban cuisine)

This fairly new establishment has art, color, flavor and flair. For a taste of Cuba in the East Bay, this is an excellent choice for contemporary cuisine and Cuban-inspired cocktails. Located at 59 Grand Avenue, it's a short walk from the 19th street BART station.

Here are some of the things I've enjoyed.

http://www.casacubanaoakland.com/



Mojito. A classic cuban beverage. These vary in sweetness and tangyness depending on who's behind the bar, but if you're open minded, why not?

Montecristo and a Cup of Joe. This was a nice cocktail with some coffee syrup, Bacardi 8, bitters and tobacco mist. A full-flavored drink that was very enjoyable.

Guacamole. Even with the fresh avocado, this happy hour item was a bit of a side liner compared to the house made taro, yuca and plantain chips. I could have had a big bowl of just the chips. Delicious.

Lechon Tostadas. Crispy tortillas were topped with stewed black beans and really well prepared pulled pork with a tangy cabbage slaw. A very tasty item on their happy hour menu. This could have also doubled as a small meal.

Ropa Nueva. This might have been the best thing I've eaten in the month of February. Super savory, succulent skirt steak topped a luscious, fall-apart tender beef brisket ragout. The boniato puree cleansed the palate after each piece and the chimichurri sauce topped it off with even more flavor. So good.

I was not expecting too much from this place, but I was very pleasantly surprised at the phenomenal flavors of some of the dishes, particularly the ones with meat. The happy hour menu is a bit limited, but order one of their meat entrees for dinner, and you won't be disappointed.