{"id":96009,"date":"2025-06-19T04:29:39","date_gmt":"2025-06-19T04:29:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/19\/city-guide-detroit-cup-of-jo\/"},"modified":"2025-06-19T04:29:39","modified_gmt":"2025-06-19T04:29:39","slug":"city-guide-detroit-cup-of-jo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/neclink.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/19\/city-guide-detroit-cup-of-jo\/","title":{"rendered":"City Guide: Detroit | Cup of Jo"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

\n
\"\"<\/div>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201c\u200b\u200bDetroit is one of those places that you either get or you don\u2019t,\u201d says restaurant critic Lyndsay C. Green<\/a>. \u201cMy friend once said \u2018Detroit has soul,\u2019 and that\u2019s always stuck with me.\u201d Lyndsay\u2019s husband grew up in Detroit, and she fell in love with Motor City while visiting his family. In 2017, the couple made Detroit home; she\u2019s since written extensively about the city\u2019s food scene. Here, Lyndsay talks about famous chili dogs, a bar where dancing spills into the street, and fun things to do even when it\u2019s freezing\u2026<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Our guide, Lyndsay C. Green<\/em><\/p>\n

WHERE TO EAT<\/strong><\/p>\n

Detroit-style pizza is square, and deep but not Chicago deep. The sauce is on top of the cheese, but the cheese also goes over the side, giving it this crispy, lacy edge. The popular spots are Jet\u2019s<\/a> and Buddy\u2019s<\/a>. Personally, I really like Grandma Bob\u2019s<\/a>. (For vegans, It\u2019s Food<\/a> does Detroit-style vegan pizza pop-ups.)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Detroit-style pizza at Grandma Bob\u2019s<\/em><\/p>\n

Every Detroiter has their favorite branch of Coney Island, but the two most famous<\/a> \u2014\u00a0Lafayette<\/a> and American<\/a> \u2014\u00a0are both over 100 years old and right next to one another. Go for a Coney, which is a hot dog with chili, mustard and onions.<\/p>\n

Baobab Fare<\/a> is an East African restaurant with a small but really good menu. They\u2019ve been nominated for multiple James Beard awards, but remain relatively affordable.<\/p>\n

Some of my favorite desserts in Detroit are: the chocolate chip cookies at an underground speakeasy called The Upright<\/a> (sometimes I just go there for the cookie and don\u2019t even have a drink), the peach cobbler cookie at Good Cakes and Bakes<\/a>, and The Red Hook\u2019s<\/a> oatmeal raisin cookie.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The peach cobbler cookie at Good Cakes and Bakes, one of Detroit\u2019s most beloved bakeries<\/em><\/p>\n

Every year, the Detroit Free Press<\/em><\/a> names a restaurant of the year. Our 2024 pick was Alpino<\/a>, which has delicious fondue, homemade pastas, and other dishes from the Alpine region. Even though it\u2019s a higher end restaurant, it still feels relaxed and comfortable. Mexican restaurant Vecino<\/a> was our pick for 2025, and in 2023 it was Ladder 4<\/a>, a wine bar in a former firehouse. In the summer, the chef makes the best sliders, and it\u2019s so nice to have one on the patio with a glass of wine.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Ladder 4<\/em><\/p>\n

WHERE TO HANG<\/strong><\/p>\n

Paramita Sound<\/a> is a tiny Black-owned bar and record shop, where DJs from Detroit and out of town perform regularly. You\u2019ll find everybody in there with a drink doing the hustle. Dancing spills out into the street, and it\u2019s just so special and fun.<\/p>\n

A lot of the things people visit Detroit for \u2014 like the museums and restaurants \u2014\u00a0are still enjoyable when it\u2019s really cold out. The Detroit Institute of Art (DIA)<\/a> is a great \u2014\u00a0and huge \u2014 museum. One of their big pieces is Mexican artist Diego Rivera\u2019s \u2018Detroit Industry\u2019 fresco, which covers four big walls. Nearby is the Charles H. Wright Museum<\/a>, which focuses on African American history. It\u2019s really cool that we have something like that in this city. And I\u2019m waiting for my baby to be a bit older to take him to the Michigan Science Center<\/a>, which is very popular with kids.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Diego Rivera\u2019s murals<\/a> at the DIA<\/em><\/p>\n

Eastern Market<\/a> is over 100 years old. I shop there for farmers\u2019 produce and groceries, but it\u2019s not just a market, it\u2019s an experience. There\u2019s a blueberry farmer that everyone knows, plus meats, cheeses, and prepared foods, like pierogis. There\u2019s not necessarily a seating area, but there are a couple little areas where you could pop a squat. Also, Bert\u2019s Market Place<\/a>, across the street, grills out during the summer. So, you can visit the market<\/a>, then go to Bert\u2019s and have a hot sausage, while you listen to live music.<\/p>\n

Definitely go to Belle Isle<\/a>, which was initially designed by Frederick Law Olmsted of Central Park fame. It\u2019s an island on the Detroit River, where you can rent bikes or boats.<\/a> America\u2019s oldest aquarium<\/a> (free admission) is there, too, and offers free admission. Sometimes I love to just walk along the river. The views of the skyline are beautiful.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The Belle Isle Aquarium<\/em><\/p>\n

WHERE TO SHOP<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Janet Webster Jones, the octogenarian owner of Source Bookstores<\/em><\/p>\n

Two bookstores I love: Source Booksellers<\/a> and Next Chapter Books<\/a>.\u00a0If you want to relax, Vesper Books & Wine<\/a> is also wonderful, and it\u2019s very close to Periodicals<\/a>, a cool spot for indie magazines.<\/p>\n

Faircloth boutique<\/a> is a good spot for colorful statement pieces, and nearby Eugenie<\/a> curates sustainable apparel, shoes and jewelry. For vintage, I really like the stuff at Flamingo<\/a>. Also, check out Boro<\/a> or the Velvet Tower<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Eugenie<\/em><\/p>\n

It\u2019s always fun to pop into Shinola Detroit\u2019s<\/a> Canfield store. There\u2019s a nice coffee shop at the entrance, so even if you don\u2019t walk away with a new watch, you won\u2019t leave empty handed. Across the street, City Bird<\/a> has a cute selection of plants, children\u2019s books, kitchenware and other knickknacks. I always find myself there during the holidays.<\/p>\n

WHERE TO STAY<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

One style of room at the Siren hotel has bunkbeds for \u201cfriends on an adventure\u201d or \u201ckids with parents across the hall.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Corktown is the oldest neighborhood in Detroit; it\u2019s really charming. For hotels there, check out Trumbull & Porter<\/a> or the Godfrey<\/a>, which is where people ended up staying when I had my baby shower.<\/p>\n

Detroit also has a number of cool hotels with great in-house restaurants or bars. The Shinola Hotel<\/a> has San Morello<\/a>,\u00a0and the Detroit Foundation Hotel<\/a>, in an old fire station, has The Apparatus Room<\/a>. The Siren<\/a> is so pretty I sometimes work in the lobby when I\u2019m downtown, and they have Candy Bar<\/a>, one of Detroit\u2019s more famous cocktail bars.<\/p>\n

Thank you so much for sharing your Detroit with us, Lyndsay<\/a>. Detroiters out there, what else would you add to the list?<\/strong><\/p>\n

P.S. More Cup of Jo city guides<\/a>, and the #1 trick to enjoying family travel<\/a>.<\/p>\n

(Top photo by Kahari King\/Unsplash.)<\/p>\n

\n

\t\t\t<\/p>\n

8<\/span> COMMENTS<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n<\/section><\/div>\n