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Plus a Rock & Roll Hall of Famer is launching a new beer, and a famous Michigan dessert may be hard to find on the shelves -- that’s what’s on the menu for the 75th edition of the Dine In The D Newsletter. (Hi, I’m Michelle!)
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🍿Appetizers
- 🍺 Fans of the Red Rocker, Sammy Hagar, you may want to try his new beer. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer partnered up with Brew Detroit to deliver a Mexican-style lager.
- 🍫 This news is hard to imagine, but there may be no Sander’s Bumpy Cake for a while. The longtime chocolatiers are having trouble finding a bakery to make them.
- 👻 Want to get in the Halloween spirit? This local bar in Southwest Detroit is decked out in all its gory for Halloween.
- 🍕 Supino’s Pizza might be returning to Eastern Market. The popular pizza spot is hoping to reopen by April, after a fire initially closed them down last year.
🍕 10 pizza places just in time for Halloween
October is National Pizza Month, and it is also the perfect thing to dish up on Halloween night. It feeds a large group of people; check! It can easily stay warm in the oven; check! And who doesn’t love pizza?
Amar Pizza - 12195 Joseph Campau Avenue, Hamtramck, MI 48212
This pizza spot, which started in Hamtramck, has some of the most unique pizzas I’ve ever tried. Infused with flavors from Bangladesh, they are unlike what you will find at most restaurants. I liked their Naga Pizza which has a bit of a kick to it, with their spicy Naga sauce, grilled chicken, onions, and cilantro, but if you like things really spicy, you have to try their Ghost pizza, whose sauce is made with ghost peppers. Their Dry Fish Pizza is another unique one, with dried shrimp, roasted garlic, onions, cilantro, and a spicy fish paste. Not pizza-related, but I love their biryani here, as well. Amar Pizza also has a location in Troy.
Bigalora Wood Fired Cucina - Southfield, Royal Oak, Plymouth and Ann Arbor
Started by the same Chef who opened the famous fine dining restaurant Bacco Ristorante in Southfield, this wood-fired spot offers spectacular food in a relaxed environment. The ingredients set this pizza apart, as does the crust. They use a biga to make their dough, hence the name. A biga is a way of pre-fermenting the dough, using no yeast, and letting it take 72 hours to ferment, grow, and fully develop its slightly tangy flavor. This makes for a crust with a lot of complexity that cooks up quickly in their 900-degree oven. If they put that much work into their dough, you know it has to be good. Watch “Live In The D” at 11 a.m. on Friday to see the full story when we go there to Dine In The D.
Buddy’s Pizza - 17125 Conant Street, Detroit, MI 48212, and various other locations
If you’ve never tried Buddy’s pizza, can you even say you are a Detroiter? The creators of this restaurant are also the creators of Detroit-style pizza (though one of them did branch off to open Cloverleaf in Eastpointe, more on that next). Legend has it that the pizza got its signature shape by being cooked in the same type of pans that they used to collect oil in when working on cars. The crust is also slightly thicker than your average ‘za, and the sauce is put on top of the cheese. Many other places may offer something similar, but you have to try the original.
Cloverleaf - 24443 Gratiot Avenue, Eastpointe, MI 48021
If you are fan of Detroit-style pizza, then you need to try Cloverleaf. Gus Guerra first came up with the idea for the now-famous pizza in 1946. He wanted to make a pizza similar to the Sicilian style he was used to growing up, but could not find a pan deep enough until he saw the oil pans they used in auto mechanic shops. He bought some fresh ones and developed the square pizza with a thick crust and sauce on top. He served it with his friends at the original Buddy’s location on Conant and McNichols in Detroit. They eventually had a falling out and Guerra opened his own place in Eastpointe called Cloverleaf. They are still serving up their original recipe and they’ve added a great gluten-free crust after one of their family members had celiac disease.
Frank’s Family Pizzeria- 3144 Biddle Avenue, Wyandotte, MI 48192
Sometimes what makes a place unique is how well they do a classic pizza. If you are a big fan of the classic greasy pizza with the cupped pepperonis, you need to check this place out. It has been in business for almost 70 years, and is an institution in the Downriver area. It has a thinner crust, similar to a New York Style, and their cheese blend has that right fat content to get a golden brown finish every time. They’ve also recently added their own take on Detroit-style pizza with an added rim of cheddar cheese to make the crust extra crispy and delicious. For the full story, click here.
Grandma Bob’s - 2135 Michigan Avenue, Detroit, MI 48216
At Grandma Bob’s, they like to really mix things up when it comes to pizza. Have you ever tried a Big Mac pizza before? Or what about their mushroom pizza, which includes goat cheese and roasted garlic, and is finished with lemon and basil? I also had a Birria pizza (like the tacos/quesadillas) before and it was AMAZING. While they make Detroit-style pizza typically, nothing about their toppings are typical. For the full story, click here.
Pizza e Vino - 849 Penniman Avenue, Plymouth, MI 48170
Let’s go back to pizza’s roots: Naples, Italy. The birthplace of modern-day pizza has some strict rules if you want to be considered authentic. First, you must make the dough using 00 Caputo flour, then the sauce must be made with San Marzano tomatoes. There are many more rules about techniques and ingredients, but that is all I remember. The point is, getting certified is no easy feat, and they were the first to get certified in Michigan. Currently, there are only two restaurants that are certified in our state, and there are under 100 certified restaurants in the United States. If you want to try how pizza tastes in Italy, this is the place to go.
Slice of the 80s - Westland, Livonia, and Waterford
If you want the 411 on where to get a great pizza, we’re talking about a seven-time winner of the Vote 4 the Best - Pizza competition, then look no further than Slice of the 80s. The store originally opened in 2008 and has since expanded to locations in Livonia and Waterford, with more on the way. The restaurants are decked out in ‘80s memorabilia from movie posters to action figures. The ‘80s theme worked into the menu as well with some radical names and fun toppings like their neon iced cinnamon sticks. For the full story, click here.
Tomatoes APizza - 24369 Halsted Road, Farmington Hills, MI 48335
Have you ever tried New Haven-style pizza before? Well, that’s the style of pizza Tomatoes APizza specializes in. According to the owner, the real key is the crust -- it has to have the right sort of bite and chew, and range in colors from a pale tan all the way to black with nice leopard spotting all over. Their Naples Sampler is the way to go if you want to try a little bit of everything they are famous for. The pie is split into four with one quarter being your classic pizza with red sauce and mozzarella and one topping; another quarter is their white pizza with mozzarella, fresh tomato, garlic, and basil; the next quarter is their green pizza with mozzarella, spinach, and garlic; and their final quarter is fresh mozzarella with red sauce and basil. They have 3 locations in Farmington Hills and Birmingham.
Tru Pizza Co - 1937 W Maple Road, Troy, MI 48084
Deep dish pizza, penne pasta, freshly fried chicken strips ... This might not be what you think of when you hear “gluten-free,” but that’s how they do it at Tru Pizza Co. in Troy. The idea for this place all began with a girl named Renee. The original owners had a daughter named Renee who had celiac disease and a severe nut allergy. Her parents wanted to create a place where she could feel safe going out to eat so they opened Renee’s Gourmet Pizzeria. When the new team took it over in 2019, they kept the recipes and mission the same, just changing the name to Tru Pizza Co. Their signature pizzas come in two styles: the New York thin crust, or the Chicago-style deep dish. For the full story, click here.
✍️ 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.
