It’s story time - I’m sharing where I’ve been for the last two months. Plus, there are 12 restaurants that are perfect for celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month - that’s what’s on the menu for the 73rd edition of the Dine In The D Newsletter. (Hi, I’m Michelle!)

👩‍⚕️This is why I was out for 2 months...

Hello fellow foodies,

It’s been a minute since we last spoke, and it’s so good to be back! Some of you have been asking, so I wanted to give you an update on where I’ve been. I warn you this is about a medical procedure, so if you are just here for the food, go ahead and skip to the list.

Onto the story - Back in August I slipped and fell down my stairs at home. I could tell right away that something was wrong. My left leg had shooting pain from my back all the way down to my foot, and it wasn’t a type of pain I was familiar with. It’s actually really hard to describe, I thought I may have bruised or broken something, but the pain felt different.

My husband rushed to my aid and helped me onto the couch so I could rest. A while later I noticed the outer portion of my leg, down through my foot was numb to the touch despite screaming in pain. I iced my back and took some over-the-counter pain meds to try and manage it, but nothing seemed to be working. The pain was so bad I couldn’t sleep at night, I just kept waking up.

The next day I went to my doctor at U of M because things were not improving. She did some tests and suspected I may have herniated a disc but wanted to make sure I didn’t break anything either.

So I went in for more tests in the form of an X-ray and an MRI, which were not fun. The only position that felt remotely good was lying down with my knees up or on my side in the fetal position, so having to stand up straight for the X-ray and lie down flat for the MRI was miserable. Sitting down, however, was the worst. I cried as I drove home from the doctor, my body had enough.

This entire time I kept thinking I would be out for a week and then back to work, but turns out that was very nieve of me.

The results came back and I had a severely herniated disc. In case you are unsure of what that is - your spine is made up of several bones and the discs are like the cushions between them. Each disc has a tough outer layer and a softer inner layer, think like a jelly donut. When you herniate a disc, the jelly essentially squirts out of the donut and can push on other important areas, like your nerves, which was exactly what it was doing to me. She put me on a nerve pain blocker, which helped ( I could finally sleep!), and directed me to a neurosurgeon.

I am a big fan of professionals like doctors and mechanics explaining things clearly to me and showing me why they are recommending the course of action they are, and that’s what my doctor did. He showed me the MRI and I could easily see the “jelly” of my disc completely blocking my nerve. I believe the exact notes were it had a “mass effect” on the nerve.

We tried conservative treatments for a while, and when that didn’t work, my doctor recommended surgery, a microdiscectomy. Being a reporter, I looked into it - both the short and long-term studies, explanations from doctors, vlogs from patients who had it, and even videos of a doctor performing it (I would not recommend that unless you have a strong stomach).

It was a minimally invasive procedure with a high success rate, but I was still nervous. What if something went wrong? What if it didn’t work? What if they accidentally severed my nerve? I kept trying to minimize the pain I was in and scrutinize if it was really worth it, but my husband pointed out that I was in a ton of pain, basically living on the couch, and that the risks were relatively small and worth it. I am so glad he did.

The surgery was a big success. I woke up and the pain in my leg was greatly reduced and over the next few days, it went away completely. My back was sore for a while but that was to be expected, and that too got better in time. I was able to walk the next day, though it was more like a hobble, but in a week I was making it around the block.

The biggest mark of improvement for me, however, was when I was finally able to go out to eat with my family.

It may sound silly, but this was something simple I really missed. Before the surgery, I would wolf down my meal in about 10 minutes because I was starting to hurt. Now, I am able to sit down for a relaxed meal with my family. It felt so good, like I was getting my life back.

I feel incredibly fortunate that I was able to receive the care I did, and that I am able to return back to work and my life. Things look a bit different now for me, I still can’t sit for super long periods of time and I can’t lift anything more than a jug of milk, but I am improving. When you’ve been injured, seeing progress in yourself, no matter how small, is a big deal. Even though I am not back to 100%, I am so much better than where I was.

I can go back to work. I can go on a long walk. I can go out to a restaurant with my family and friends.

That means the world to me.

Eat well my friends!

-Michelle Oliver

Reporter on the 11 AM show, “Live in the D.” Follow me on Facebook and Instagram to message me and for the latest stories I am working on.

🌮11 Restaurants where you can celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

Hispanic Heritage Month wraps up this Sunday, October 15th, but before it does I have 11 restaurants I think you should check out. From tacos to arepas, these eateries have it all! Try something new or go for an old favorite.

Tamalaria Nuevo Leon - 2669 Vernor Hwy, Detroit, MI 48216

This cash-only business in Southwest Detroit does one thing, and they do it very well - tamales! These are some of my favorites and are done in the Nuevo Leon style which means they’re on the slimmer side. A half a dozen, which is enough to fill you up, costs about $7 but I say get more and keep them in the fridge or freezer to eat later. You can choose from pork, spicy pork, chicken, and beef. On the weekend they also offer cheese with jalapenos, beans, and a sweet one with pineapple, coconut, golden raisins, and brown sugar. Don’t forget to try their salsa, it’s addicting! For more info, click here.

Barda - 4842 Grand River Ave, Detroit, MI 48208

BARDA is bringing something different to Detroit, delivering savory flavors from Argentina, all cooked over a wood fire. Gathering around a fire and roasting meat is something that is integral to Argentinian culture, say the two owners Ignacio Gerson and Javier Baraduil. While steaks are certainly a specialty of theirs, Chef Barda likes to play with charred and smoky flavors and textures in the rest of their menu as well. In 2022, they were a finalist for the James Beard Awards. For the full story, click here.

Asty Time Dominican Cuisine - 7340 McGraw Ave, Detroit, MI 48210

Inspired to cook at a young age by his parents Astiage Acosta, better known as Asty, continued to hone his craft over the years. After leaving the Dominican Republic to come to America with his family, he needed to make some extra money, so he fell back on what he loved to do and opened Asty Time in Detroit. Popular dishes include mofongo, smashed fried plantains typically mixed with pork belly chicken broth and garlic. They also make a whole fried red snapper served with tostones, and la bandera, a beef stew served with rice and beans. For the full story, click here.

Campestre Chicken - 3419 Fort St, Lincoln Park, MI 48146

This quaint spot is packed with flavors from Mexico, El Salvador, and Peru. Their charcoal-roasted chicken, which is done in the Peruvian fashion, is a crowd-pleaser, and you have to try it with the traditional Peruvian green sauce which is tangy and bright. Besides that they offer tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and Salvadoran pupusas. They have a brick-and-mortar in Lincoln Park as well as a food truck.

Casa Amado - 2705 Coolidge Hwy, Berkley, MI 48072

The menu may be simple, with tacos, quesadillas, and hotdogs, but the flavors are not. Chef Amado Lopez is an expert at slowly building flavors over time, so much so that he was a James Beard Semifinalist this year. Each taco is served on a double corn shell and is expertly paired with their toppings - like a creamy poblano onion sauce for the chipotle chicken, or a cactus slaw with their steak tacos. In honor of their building, the old Atomic Dog spot, they have a sonoran on the menu, and you can also find a quesadilla. For the full story click here.

Frita Batidios - 117 W Washington St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104

This Cuban-inspired street food joint serves up burgers (called Fritas) with a spicy chorizo patty and fries on top. They’ve won the Detroit Burger Battle, so you know they have to be good. They also have plenty of bowls and snacks, with some freshly made juices and cocktails. They have two locations, their original one in Ann Arbor, and another in Detroit near Comerica Park.

Taqueria Mi Pueblo - 7278 Dix Street, Detroit, MI 48209

This large Mexican restaurant in Southwest Detroit had some quaint beginnings. It all started with Jose de Jesus Lopez making tacos for his family and friends on weekends. He used to make tacos in Mexico City, so when he moved to Michigan he started serving them out of his house. Thanks to the hard work of him and his family, the restaurant grew. While they are perhaps most well-known for the tacos, they also have a series of traditional Mexican soups including Pozole, a soup from the Jalisco region, which has pork and hominy in a chili-based broth. They also serve birria, but not in the way you might expect. Instead of in a taco or a quesadilla, they serve it the way they do in Jalisco, as a stew or just the meat plated with rice, beans, pico de gallo, guacamole, and tortillas. (For more, watch the full story here.)

Culantro - 22939 Woodward Ave, Ferndale, MI 48220

Starting in 2018, this Peruvian restaurant is now planning to open its second location in Ann Arbor this November. Popular dishes here include Culantro’s Pollo La Brasa, which is a rotisserie chicken that has been marinated in Peruvian spices for up to 24 hours and cooked in a special charcoal oven. (Make sure to try it with the green sauce.) My personal favorite is their steak dish, Lomo Saltado, featuring steak strips cooked in soy and red wine vinegar sauce with onions and tomatoes served over fries with a side of rice. Their cuisine is an interesting fusion of Latin American and Asian flavors. For the full story, click here.

El Rey De Las Arepas - 7701 McGraw Ave, Detroit, MI 48210

Whether stuffed with juicy steak or packed with shredded chicken, you’re sure to love the Venezuelan sandwiches at El Rey De Las Arepas. They cost $6.75 each, come wrapped in a corn-based flatbread, and you can choose what’s inside. This place is a favorite among the Detroit Tigers, and former Tigers player Francisco José Rodríguez, also known as K-Rod, has a sandwich named after him. His is made with fried plantains as the bread and costs $7.75. For the full story on El Rey De Las Arepas, click here.

El Charro - Various Locations in Fraser, St. Clair Shores, and Macomb

We all have family traditions, and one family in Fraser turned theirs into a business. Delia Martin loved making recipes from her parents, Rosalio and Consuelo Rendon, one of which included the puffy taco -- a thick, corn-based shell that puffs up when deep-fried. With the help of her husband George and his parents, they were able to buy a small restaurant in Fraser in 1971. That was the birth of El Charro, a popular Tex-Mex style chain on the east side of Metro Detroit. If you’ve never had a puffy taco before, you absolutely need to try one. (Click here to see the full story.)

Vicente’s Cuban Cuisine - 1250 Library St, Detroit, MI 48226

When you first walk in you can smell Cuban cuisine as the sound of salsa music surrounds you. Indulge in their signature seafood paella, and quench your thirst with their homemade sangria. Owner Vicente Vazquez wants you to really feel like you are in Cuba, and he does a good job of it at this fun, relaxed restaurant.

✍️ 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.

By the way, we have a Facebook group for our “Dine In The D” foodies! Check it out here and join the conversation.