Audrey LaForest | Seasoned Journalist & Communicator

Happy Sunday, everyone!

I wrote about takeover menus for Crain’s Detroit Business this month. If you follow the food scene, you’ve probably noticed that Detroit has increasingly popped up in national headlines. Here’s a few from the past year or so:

“One of the country’s poorest cities is suddenly becoming a food mecca” in The Washington Post.

“How Detroit is redefining itself through food” in Men’s Journal.

“Taking the pulse of Detroit’s dining scene” in Food Republic.

So, sure, you can juxtapose Detroit’s headline-making culinary transformation with its headline-making bankruptcy, but restaurateurs should look at Detroit (and even metro Detroit) as another example of how foodies are not just looking for great food and service, but also a memorable, one-of-a-kind dining experience.

And as a frequent Detroit diner, I’m also more and more impressed with the variety of options in the metro Detroit area and the restaurant concepts that are being created, such as GreenSpace Café in Ferndale and the recently opened The Peterboro in Midtown.

It’s also worth noting that I’ve seen many more vegan- and vegetarian-friendly options on menus here. For the veggies (vegans/vegetarians) who can usually pick from only one to three choices on a menu, I certainly hope that’s one trend that will continue to expand.