Annual Sparkling Feast at Shiraz
Back when I was a resident of the O.C. (by way of West Bloomfield and later Waterford), I enjoyed attending many of the Matt Prentice Restaurant Group's monthly wine tastings, and dined frequently at such MPRG restaurants as Northern Lakes Seafood Company, No. VI Chophouse, and Shiraz. Those days (and the boyfriend with the deep pockets) are long gone, and nowadays it's quite the challenge to convince me to cross Detroit borders for any reason.* (And when I do it is usually after weeks of planning, a lot of heavy sighing, and a palpable sense of irritation, but I digress.)Of all the monthl

My Love Affair With Foran's
Photo ripped from website...apparently I have no pictures from inside this place. Inconceivable.I've always liked Foran's (now officially known as Grand Trunk Pub, though still

How Do You Do, Midtown?
Yes. Midtown. It's so much better than anywhere else in Detroit. We get it now. Here ya' go."People who live in Midtown like to talk about how much they love living in Midtown. And what's not to love? Midtown is the cultural and intellectual hub of the city. And thanks to some new and improved restaurants and bars, Midtown is cementing its status as the city's social center, too.'Popular consensus seems to be that Midtown -- and specifically, the University and Cultural Districts -- has been woefully underserved in terms of casual restaurants. There is a huge market of working professionals, college students, and culture-seekers that previously had little local r

Divine Dim Sum: Shangri La
"Shangri-La" is a fictional location that has become synonymous with the idea of a pure utopia. How about foodtopia? The new Chinese eatery Shangri La, located in Midtown's University and Theatre District, is just

Little Vietnam in Madison Heights
Have you driven down John R or Dequindre between 12 and 13 Mile Rd. lately? Then perhaps you've noticed the same trend I did--the seemingly inexplicable and disproportionate number of Vietnamese restaurants, markets, and specialty stores that are concentrated in this area (and this area alone). It led me to embark on a quest, which you can read in this week's issue of Metromode."If you want to experience authentic Vietnamese culture, skip the 25-hour flight to Ho Chi Minh City. Look no further than our own Madison Heights. Inexplicably, this mid-sized suburb seems to be the hub for Vietnamese culture in M