It's generally accepted that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so maybe it shouldn't be surprising to see overflow crowds at Detroit's Breakfast House & Grill on an early Sunday morning. Still, weekends in Detroit used to be pretty quiet, save for evening sporting events.
But the Breakfast House is just one of many new restaurants popping up all over Detroit's downtown. And the new eateries are doing more than filling once-empty retail space. They're also serving up some creative cuisine.
The Breakfast House's breakfast menu features five varieties of Eggs Benedict, Vernor's Ginger Ale malted waffles, a New Orleans-style frittata and a Santa Fe omelet with chorizo, Monterey Jack cheese and green chili salsa. The lunch and early dinner menu includes barbecue tuna salad and a fried-chicken-and-waffle club sandwich.
Just a few blocks away in Greektown are dining destinations for couples and families with adventurous palates. Mosaic serves an international menu in a dining room of rich red and amber tones and deep mahogany woods. Dinner entrees include cedar-roasted whitefish with a maple-mustard sauce and a side of white polenta; and roasted pheasant breast over wild mushroom ravioli.
Other downtown newcomers include Agave, featuring contemporary northern Mexican cuisine in a hip atmosphere. Visitors can order enchiladas or tacos, but more complicated dishes such as filet mignon with chipotle-tomatillo sauce are the rule.
There's much more than typical tapas at Small Plates, such as fish tacos, pan-seared scallops or the barbecued ribs. And Vicente's Cuban Cuisine mixes live Latin entertainment with entrees ranging from arroz con pollo, chicken with saffron rice and fried plantains, to the traditional ropa vieja, Cuban shredded beef.