The best things we ate in metro Detroit and beyond in 2022 [PHOTOS]

Jumbo shrimp at Freya in Detroit

2929 E. Grand Blvd. Detroit; 313-818-3915; freyadetroit.com

Among the finest dishes here is a plate of entwined jumbo shrimp with slightly spicy lobster-tomato broth that’s packed with flavor from fried ginger and garlic, shells from Freya’s shellfish, and roasted tomatoes that were grown last year by Drew Farm then roasted and frozen. The savory side is balanced with a sweet-ish poblano cornbread that holds the shrimp, and the package offers a real creole vibe. (Read more in our review.) —Tom Perkins

Lamb chops at Bar Pigalle in Detroit’s Brush Park

2915 John R Rd., Detroit; 313-497-9200; barpigalle.com

On this “playful French” menu — meaning Day-twah French, with license to invent — a star on the star-studded meat-centric menu is two umami-laden lamb chops with a crisp exterior plus a tenderloin wrapped in Savoy cabbage. They come with ratatouille and a creamy sauce made with sweet piquillo peppers. As a bonus, the French wines are affordable and there is no snooty-French-waiter vibe at all. (Read more in our review.) —Jane Slaughter

Polglish pizza at HenriettaHaus in Hamtramck

8609 Joseph Campau Ave., Hamtramck facebook.com/HenriettaHaus

Among the best pizzas in Detroit, the Polglish’s sauce is basically pickle soup thickened with a roux — vegetarian stock, lots of butter, flour, and milk that’s whipped in until everything thickens, at which point HenHaus adds pickle brine, carrots, parmesan cheese, and pepper, then cooks it all down. The pie is topped with mozzarella cheese, chopped potato pancakes from Srodek’s, sliced pickles, and a sour cream-dill drizzle. The pizza’s success here owes in no small part to the crust, which is blended with King Arthur AP bread and Caputo 00 flours, and the dough’s slow, two-day rise gives the wild yeast time to do its thing and develop a slightly more complex and sour flavor. Once cooked, it holds a focaccia-like crust that’s similar to Detroit-style pizza. But it’s not — it’s Hamtramck-style. (Read more in our review.) —Tom Perkins

Breakfast sandwich at Promenade Artisan Foods in Detroit’s New Center

3011 W. Grand Blvd., Suite 115, Detroit; 313-462-8166; promenadeartisanfoods.square.sitem

I particularly liked a big breakfast sandwich, two crisp halves, grilled and buttery, cheesy and spicy. It’s a better buy than the bacon-tomato-feta quiche, which is also delicious but smaller, with lots of flaky crust, soft innards, and prominent tomato. (Read more in our review.) —Jane Slaughter

Gyro platter at NYC Halal Eats in Troy

1939 E. Wattles Rd., Troy 248-729-7200; nychalaleat.com

The gyro platter reigns as the world’s best street food. Since first being served from a New York City food cart more than 30 years ago, the dish — basically a deconstructed gyro served over rice and doused in a tangy “white sauce” — has become a staple in big cities around the country. In Michigan, where food carts are rare because we don’t do a lot of walking on the streets, one of the best options is in Troy’s many strip malls at NYC Halal Eats. (Read more in our review.) —Tom Perkins

Tortas at Galindo’s in Southgate

13754 Fort St., Southgate; 734-324-1141; galindosmexican.com

These 22 huge sandwiches on rectangular, flattish bolillos are in the style of Mexico City, where chef-owner Erik Galindo grew up and where street vendors prepare them at their carts on the spot. All include the mild Oaxaca cheese, quesillo, and one to four kinds of meat. The Acapulco is simple and simply wonderful with marinated pork, mushrooms and quesillo, but my nod goes to the Cubana, which besides breaded chicken, breaded steak, salchicha, and quesillo also includes a fried egg. This is all on top of mayo, tomato, thick slices of avocado, and occasional flashes of jalapeño. Take a friend and share. (Read more in our review.) —Jane Slaughter

Hamachi kama at TigerLily in Ferndale

231 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-733-4905; tigerlilyferndale.com

It doesn’t feel totally right to be highlighting a grilled dish from a sushi restaurant, but there were so many phenomenal plates at TigerLily, raw or cooked. (In our opinion, the other front runner wasn’t even fish: folks, don’t miss the shikotsu A5 Wagyu roll.) But ultimately, the hamachi kama, or grilled yellowtail tuna collar, won. The collar is a fatty, flavorful, slightly rich cut that’s pulled from behind the gills, and the slightly smoky fish is partially blanketed with a pink and white checker-triangle of watermelon radish pickled in a fish stock that provides a dashi-umami component, and a sweet pickled daikon. Together, the pickles beautifully contrast the fish in color, texture, and flavor, and the sweet acidity cuts right through the glorious tuna fat, though you might not always get to share in the glory — TigerLily goes through 10-15 hamachi weekly, and that’s how many collars it has to make the dish. (Read more in our review.) —Tom Perkins

Elixir smoothie at El ArteSano in Southwest Detroit

4748 W. Vernor Hwy., Detroit; 313-551-4743; facebook.com/artesanojuicebar

I read once about a take-out food company that researched what its customers wanted in their smoothies or milkshakes. Which flavors, what consistency? Turned out, what folks wanted, as they drove away from the window, was a companion. Something that would stay with them on their journey. So the company made its “drinks” super-thick, slow to draw through the straw. ArteSano’s smoothies fit that bill. (Read more in our review.) —Jane Slaughter

Chicken shawarma at Kal’s Lunch Bowl in Royal Oak

316 E. 11 Mile Rd., Royal Oak (inside the Royal Oak Farmers Market); 248-832-0044; kalslunchbowl.com

For years, to find one of the best kabobs in town, one needed to hit an unlikely spot – the Mobil gas station at the corner of Coolidge and 12 Mile roads. It wasn’t much of a secret that Mr. Kabob chef and manager Kal Al-Amara was rolling up gold as local and national media raved about the Lebanese fare, and a carryout crowd packed the small station on weekend nights. These days, Mr. Kabob is still rolling, now in a small carryout kitchen window in the northeast corner of the Royal Oak Farmers’ Market. (Read more in our review.) —Tom Perkins

Whole grilled bronzini at Aliz Seafood House in Dearborn

14507 W. Warren Ave., Dearborn; 313-977-7787

More commonly called branzino, or Mediterranean sea bass, this delicate, sweet fish is rich enough to stand on its own but is enhanced by a simple green sauce, a side of tahini, and one of several unfamiliar versions of rice — ask for the sayyadiyah, dark with fish oil, topped with caramelized onions and crunchy cashews. The firm consistency makes it easy to avoid the tiny bones. Anyone I’ve taken here has gone back on their own, and besides the bronzini are red snapper, whiting, golden pomfret, sea bream and sardine, all prepared similarly. (Read more in our review.) —Jane Slaughter

Longanisa dumplings at the Gajiza Dumplins pop-up in Detroit

gajizadumplins.com

The first thing one will note at this dumpling pop-up is the commitment to quality noodles. Of course, the noodle shells mean nothing if the fillings inside don’t work. The best we tried was the longanisa, a traditional Filipino sausage chef Jasmine Haskins packs in-house with ground pork that’s cured for several weeks, paprika, ginger, palm sugar, chili pepper, garlic, and fried shallot — a bit sweet but more savory, and the package is paired with a sriracha sauce. There’s not a lot of longanisa floating around Detroit these days, and the fusion dish is a bit of a rarity altogether. Haskins said she has several Filipino-American chefs who said they never would have dreamt up a longanisa dumpling, but, folks, it’s a perfect marriage. (Read more in our review.) —Tom Perkins

Shrimp etouffée at Bellflower in Ypsilanti

209 Pearl St., Ypsilanti; bellflowerypsi.com

It’s made differently every time, according to what chef Dan Klenotic has on hand in this fish-and-seafood-forward spot, but the version I got included cream. It’s not standard, but who can deny cream’s magic properties? Combining it with smoked ham was genius; the result both mellow and sharp. (Read more in our review.) —Jane Slaughter

Beijing classic fried noodle at Kung Fu Brothers Noodles and Dumplings in Westland

35624 Warren Rd., Westland; 734-725-3177; kungfubrosdumplings.com

Kung Fu Bros. might be the best restaurant to open in metro Detroit in 2022, though that’s certainly up for debate. The Chinese noodle shop sits in a Westland strip mall and quietly makes killer soup dumplings, Chinese burritos, and hot pepper oil noodles. But the best of the hits is the Beijing classic fried sauce noodle, built off a minced, fried pork bathed in a dark, sweet, viscous yellow bean paste with a deep umami component and plenty of ginger and garlic. Mushrooms, bean sprouts, carrot, and cucumber round out the mix, but it’s the fresh, thin, long, springy wonton noodles that drive it home. (Read more in our review.) —Tom Perkins

Horchata panna cotta at Metropolitan Bar & Kitchen in Detroit’s West Village

8047 Agnes St., Detroit; 313-447-5418; metropolitanvariety.com

Chef Brendon Edwards likes to use Latin American ingredients with the techniques of other cultures. So the usually bland Italian dessert panna cotta is transformed when it tastes like the best horchata, that quintessentially Mexican rice-and-cinnamon drink. It’s served with crisp puffed rice for texture contrast, and little cubes of mango. Be sure to save room. (Read more in our review.) —Jane Slaughter

Grilled Red Snapper at Bon Appetit Cuisine in Ypsilanti

421 W. Cross St., Ypsilanti; 734-221-5525; bonappetitcuisine.com

Husband-wife Kenisha Warford-Diallo and Ismael Diallo opened the West African restaurant in the former Golden Wall space on Cross Street, trading in region’s meat- and fish-heavy dishes that are often grilled or stewed pop with the liberal use of aromatics, flavorful rubs, and acidic sauces composed of dijon mustard and caramelized onions, peppers, or cucumbers. It’s often the case that the dishes’ appeal owes as much to the texture as taste; Bon Appeitt’s red snapper, for instance, is a full fish with shatter-crisp skin that’s achieved after it’s first fried then grilled. The snapper’s flavorful rub is complemented with the almost creamy, vinegary dijon and onion sauce that adds depth with its acidity, texture, and flavor. (Read more in our review.) —Tom Perkins

Eggplant fettah at Leila in downtown Detroit

2929 E. Grand Blvd. Detroit; 313-818-3915; freyadetroit.com

Given metro Detroit’s plethora of Lebanese cuisine, don’t order the same things you order in Dearborn and expect them to be twice as good at this high end spot. Order what you don’t find on other menus, sit back, and enjoy your wine. Consider instead something off the beaten path, like eggplant fettah, a real carnival of flavors including chickpeas, lamb confit, and yogurt, though it was disappointingly light on eggplant. Though this is on the “hot mezze” menu, it's big enough for an entrée, and I raved about it throughout the meal. (Read more in our review.) —Jane Slaughter

The Tom Hagen at Fredi the PizzaMan in Melvindale

17900 Allen Rd., Melvindale; instagram.com/fredithepizzaman313

Fredi’s game is about thin crust pies that out of the oven are shatter crisp and at times almost cracker-like. A few bites even seemed like a mix of New York-style and New Haven-style. The crust’s bottom bears the leopard print char marks that you’d find in a Neapolitan pie, and it is an altogether superb foundation. See why Barstool Sports’ David Portnoy is a fan. (Read more in our review.) —Tom Perkins

Coconut Tofu Custard at Ima Izakaya in Corktown

2100 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-306-9485; imaizakaya.com

For dessert, I love the way chef Mike Ransom throws an herb into the sweetness. Coconut Tofu Custard is light and minty with a base flavor like warm vanilla tapioca, some blueberries and a sprinkle of cocoa crisps; it's not too many flavors. And the Chilled Cream Cake dresses up a tender yellow cake with strawberries, whipped cream — and Thai basil. (Read more in our review.) —Jane Slaughter

Yibin spicy noodle at Hong Kong in Lansing

315 S. Homer St., Lansing; 517-332-5333; hongkonglansing.com

The incredible Chinese restaurant is sort of a sister spot to Troy’s venerated Trizest, though the menus aren’t totally the same. Among the best dishes in Lansing is the Yibin noodle, with bouncy noodles that swirl with flavor from the salty, ground stir-fried pork, a coating of crushed dried chilis, chili oil, Sichuan peppercorn, green onion, and bits of pickled bean sprout that deliver garlicky, tangy, and sweet flavor bursts. The Yibin noodles are served “dry” because the south China city’s economy partly revolves around the Yangtze River, and the fishermen can’t eat noodles with broth on their boats. (Read more in our review.) —Tom Perkins

Harhoura at AlTayeb in Dearborn

15010 W. Warren Ave., Dearborn; 313-908-9527; altayebrestaurant.com

One of the best dishes to be had at this acclaimed, brunch-centric Lebanese restaurant is harhoura, big enough to share: shredded beef, peppers, and slightly sweet onions, mellow and spicy at the same time, with a pleasant after-burn. I have to say it’s greasy, and I wish some people didn’t find that a pejorative. There’s tahini on the side as a coolant. (Read more in our review.) —Jane Slaughter

Tuna tartare at Madam in Birmingham

298 S. Old Woodward, Birmingham; 248-283-4200; daxtonhotel.com

Hotel restaurants used to have a bad rep — diners were a captive audience, so management didn't feel a need to make the food shine. Madam, on a busy downtown corner in the Daxton Hotel, appears to be reversing that disrepute. Let's start with appetizers, the term Madam's menu uses rather than something cuter. I couldn't have been happier with either of the two I tried, both a shareable size. Tuna tartare is silky and matched with crunchy, spaghetti-like strands of papaya, dressed with a sweet-tart passion fruit vinaigrette. Then dots of avocado are added for more smooth richness. You might argue that that final touch was not needed — raw tuna is already smooth and rich — but chef Rece Hogerheide knew just when more was more. (Read more in our review.) —Jane Slaughter