My doctor told me I had to stop throwing intimate dinners for four unless there are three other people.” -Orson Welles

Food. We all eat it. It is one thing that if you have too little, you may not live long and if you have too much, you may not live long. All things living need some form of food, whether it is simply sunlight or hundreds of pounds of food a day. That being the case, it is interesting to see how sophisticated food and food preparation has become, considering at one point humans were just figuring out how to apply fire to cook. Meals have always been a great way to break ice or bond a group. Some argue we eat too much of this or too little of that. Some argue we shouldn’t eat certain foods altogether for various reasons, ranging from health reasons to religious ones. Needless to say, the relationship with humans and food is a complicated one.

Many new restaurants have opened up in Detroit in the seemingly predetermined hot spots of Midtown, Downtown, Mexicantown, Corktown and Woodbridge, what I refer to as the “Downtown Metro area”, but there are also some great restaurants that have opened up/continued to thrive in areas many of the residents of the aforementioned areas never visit. So, hopefully this list will give you an incentive to visit these restaurants and the areas they occupy. Some of these restaurants are fairly new, while some have been Detroit staples for generations.

1. Baker’s Keyboard Lounge– Located at 20510 Livernois Ave Detroit, MI 48221, opened in 1933, this restaurant is famous for the connection it has to jazz. It is Michigan’s jazz mecca and Detroit’s, and arguably the world’s, oldest jazz club in continuous operation. Some of the musicians who have played the club include: Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, Oscar Peterson, George Shearing, Sarah Vaughn, Joe Williams, Maynard Ferguson, Cab Calloway, Woody Herman, Modern Jazz Quartet, and Nat “King” Cole; to name but a few. The food selection is soul-food oriented, they even have gizzards, collard greens and yams on the menu.

2. Dutch Girl Donuts-Located at 19000 Woodward Ave, Detroit, MI 48203, opened in 1947, this shop makes arguably the best donuts of all time! (I may be a little bias) With major chains like Dunkin Donuts and Krispy Kreme, you know this place must be good to still be operating this long amongst such stiff competition. Great anytime, even at 3am, because they are open 24 hours a day, except Saturday night and Sunday. So if you are leaving a fun night in Ferndale or Royal Oak or another northern suburb on a Friday, stop by Dutch Girl before you head back downtown for a great late night/early morning treat. Located across from Palmer Park so grab a dozen before you go enjoy the park!

3. Lou’s Deli-Located at 8220 W McNichols Rd Detroit, MI 48221, two more locations, one on 6 mile and one on 9 mile. Open for over 50 years, this west side staple has been enjoyed for generations. Best deli sandwich in the metro area. Next time you have a craving for a sandwich, make your way over to this place and you won’t be disappointed. Located across from Marygrove College.

4. Buddy’s Pizza– many locations, the original location is 17125 Conant St Detroit, MI 48212. Many people know of this place already based on the many awards the pizza has won. Opened in 1936, but the pizza debuted in 1946. It is a pioneer in the square/deep dish Detroit pizza, holding the title of Detroit’s original square pizza. It has even been heralded as one of the top 5 pizza places in the entire nation by the Food Network, among many other top lists across the country. Needless to say, this is probably the best pizza you will ever taste. Seriously.

5. The Clique Restaurant– located at 1326 E Jefferson Ave, Detroit, MI 48207, this low profile spot is a Detroit gem. Known for its breakfast and brunch, it is located next to the Shorecrest Motor Inn motel on Jefferson, a couple blocks from the river, about a 7 min walk from the RenCen. This place is great for breakfast and lunch. Open from 7am to 3pm daily, so get there for breakfast and then take a walk on the riverwalk or enjoy Lafayette Park. (I know this place is probably considered downtown but because it is not well known, and it is very good, and not in the technical dimensions for downtown, it is included.)

6. Motor City Soul Food-located at 12700 W Seven Mile Rd Detroit, MI, the name says it all. This is one of those spots you see where every time you drive by it, the line is out the door. It is that good.

7. City Wings-located at 2896 W Grand Blvd, Detroit, MI 48202, this wing spot is a new addiction to the New Center area. Using only Amish chicken and their own homemade rubs, their wings taste fresh and always hit the spot. The place has a nice set up, with TVs for watching sports, a hip hop/r&B soundtrack and spacious seating.

8. 1917 America Bistro-located at 19416 Livernois Ave, Detroit, MI 48221, one of the great new restaurants added to the fabulous Livernois Avenue of Fashion district. This restaurant serves an array of food options, from Cajun/Creole to classic American dishes. Stop by after some shopping to enjoy a new Detroit delicacy.

9. Kuzzo’s Chicken And Waffles-located at 19345 Livernois Ave, Detroit, MI 48221, also on the illustrious Livernois Avenue of Fashion, is another new restaurant serving delicious food on this beautiful strip. Opened this year, it is owned by former NFL player (and fellow Renaissance High School Phoenix), Ron Bartell, who wanted to bring a family restaurant to the area he grew up in. It specializes in southern cuisine, offering its staple chicken and waffles in ten variations alongside other traditional southern meals such as fried catfish, salmon croquettes, red beans and rice, collard greens, fried corn, biscuits and cornbread.

10. Sweet Potato Sensations-located at 17337 Lahser Rd, Detroit, MI 48219, next to the Old Redford Theatre, this place is perfect for the sweet potato aficionado. This family owned business specializes in everything sweet potato: sweet potato cookies, sweet potato pie regular and sugar-free, sweet potato coconut pie, sweet potato pecan pie, sweet potato cake with real cream cheese frosting, sweet potato cheesecake, sweet potato cobbler, sweet potato muffins and sweet potato ice cream. Also featured on the Food Network and other culinary mediums, this award winning business has been in operation since 1987.

I advise to try at least one of these spots once a month. I admit, this list doesn’t have every restaurant that is great outside of the “downtown metro area” (also does not include Hamtramck or Highland Park). If you have any recommendations, please leave them in the comments!