Hey folks! I’m off for the week so please enjoy this throwback to a list I made last year for Pride Month -- that’s what’s on the menu for the 66th edition of the Dine In The D Newsletter. (Hi, I’m Michelle!)

🌈Celebrate Pride Month at these 8 LGBTQ+ friendly restaurants

June is Pride Month, a time to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. Pride gatherings are about celebrating the right to be who you are, love who you love, and honor the work it took for the LGBTQ+ community to get to where they are today. The month of June was chosen in honor of the Stonewall Uprising in New York that took place in June of 1969. Same-sex marriage becoming legalized on June 26, 2015 is just another cause for celebration this month. So in honor of Pride, I rounded up 9 LGBTQ+ friendly restaurants in Metro Detroit I think you should check out.

La Feria - 4130 Cass Ave, Detroit, MI 48201

Take your taste buds on a trip to Spain with the delicious small plates they are serving up at La Feria. The restaurant is gay-owned and features lots of traditional tapas, including patatas bravas, and homemade sangria. For me, must-haves on the menu include their garlic shrimp (gambas al ajillo), Moorish chicken skewers (Pincho Moruno), their steak with a cracked pepper brandy butter, and of course their patatas bravas. They also have specials which are always good to try.

Pronto! - 608 S Washington Ave, Royal Oak, MI 48067

This Royal Oak lounge and show bar is known for its delicious brunch. Shown above is their mouthwatering take on chicken and waffles. They also have Breakfast Wellington which features a hard-boiled egg wrapped in sausage, topped with mushroom duxelles, stuffed inside a puff pastry, and finished with hollandaise. The whole place has a mid-century modern feel and hosts several events including RuPaul’s Drag Race watch parties and Drag Queen Bingo. They serve both brunch and dinner and currently have their rainbow Pride cake on special. For an interview we did with them, click here.

Avalon Cafe and Kitchen - 120 E Liberty St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104

This bakery started in the Cass Corridor neighborhood of Detroit about 25 years ago. While the original location has since closed, they have moved into Jolly Pumpkin on Canfield, and have grown to include a location in downtown Detroit on Woodward Avenue, and another in Ann Arbor on Liberty. From the beginning, they focused on their triple bottom line - promising to use organic flour, create a welcoming, supportive environment and be a part of a healthy vibrant Detroit, and to pay their employees a fair wage and give them a livelihood. They are probably best known for their artisan bread, but they also serve several sweets, sandwiches, soups, and more. The Ann Arbor location is a full-fledged restaurant currently serving breakfast and lunch.

Como’s - 22812 Woodward Ave #100, Ferndale, MI 48220

Como’s has been in Ferndale since 1961, and has a long history of being LGBTQ+ friendly. In 2019 it got a new owner and a makeover, but it is still a welcoming hangout to those in the LGBTQ+ community. Now it serves Detroit-style pizza and other Italian American dishes. Their large patio with its colorful mural is a fun place to spend a summer evening. It now has a location in Bloomfield as well.

Detroit Vegan Soul - 19614 Grand River Ave, Detroit, MI 48223

Owners Kirsten Ussery and Erika Boyd first started the vegan lifestyle after losing Erika’s father to cancer. Erika experimented and transformed a lot of her family recipes into vegan meals, and her family loved them, so she and her partner opened Detroit Vegan Soul in 2013 in Detroit’s West Village. Due to the pandemic, they had to close that location, but they are still open at their Grand River location. They also offer catering and meal plan subscriptions.

Café Muse - 418 S Washington Ave, Royal Oak, MI 48067

This gay-owned restaurant has been in Royal Oak for 16 years serving up some amazing breakfast and lunch items. Their food philosophy is about keeping things simple and using the best, freshest ingredients available. Their grilled cheese gained popularity when it was featured in Esquire magazine. It features three kinds of cheese -havarti, fontina, and fresh mozzarella- as well as fresh basil, tomato, organic bread, and a touch of honey. Their lemon ricotta pancakes and exotic mushroom scramble with Boursin cheese and truffle oil caught my eye.

Amici’s Kitchen and Living Room - 3249 W 12 Mile Rd, Berkley, MI 48072

This friendly restaurant is known for two things: Their martinis and their pizza. It was originally owned by Jennifer Stark and her partner, Maureen McNamara, but changed hands in 2020 to two of their regulars, Tim and Laura Kenrick. They have a lovely patio, and you can spot a fun mural of a rainbow coming out of a martini glass on the front of the building, done by Ash K Guzman.

Bobcat Bonnie’s - Multiple locations

This friendly neighborhood eatery is all about being welcoming to everyone. The menu is vast and includes a lot of options for people who have dietary restrictions like being gluten-free or vegan. Several locations are decorated with vibrant graphic rainbow murals by artist Joey Salamon. Bobcat Bonnie’s has locations in Corktown, Ferndale, Grand Rapids, Partridge Creek, Wyandotte, Ypsilanti, and soon to be in Toledo too. If you go, definitely try their totchos.

✍️Can I take your order?

Hello! My name is Michelle Oliver. I am a reporter, and the resident foodie on our 11 a.m. lifestyle show, “Live In The D.” Every Friday, I will take you to “Dine In The D” at a different local restaurant, so make sure to watch.

Thanks for reading this newsletter! I’d love to hear about the restaurants you love in your city -- click here to submit an idea, or email me directly here.

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