Over the past 10 years, I’ve done a ton of Dine in the Ds. If you want to talk numbers I think it’s well over 400, and I remember all of them.
Like the one time, I went viral in Hungary after doing a feature on Hungarian Rhapsody and learned how to make their delicious Chicken paprikash.
That was back when I always made a dish with the chefs. Speaking of which, there was that one time I almost burned my eyebrows off at George’s Senate Coney Island trying to light saganaki. Or that other time when I learning how to do hibachi at Samurai Steakhouse.
I always loved talking about food with Chef Junior Merino at M Cantina. Food was so clearly a passion of his and he always made it a work of art. There are actually several Chefs I really connected with, like Chris Gadulka with Sylvan Table! They grow a lot of their ingredients on-site, and you can really taste the difference. Chef Ji Hey Kim from Miss Kim’s in Ann Arbor has won several awards, and for a good reason! I’ve had the pleasure of trying her tkboki several times.
I love getting to try new foods! I will never forget the first time I got to try Chicken Yasa at Maty’s African Cuisine! Or when I fell in love with Filipino food after doing the story on Isla. I still regularly go back to Baobab Fare to get my light and flavorful fish dish, called samaki, and New Seoul Plaza is one of my favorite places to indulge in Korean BBQ.
Recently, I went to Alpino, a place that fulfills all my cheesy fantasies and actually serves up both raclette and fondue. And that reminds me, I still think all the Union Joints serve up the best mac and cheese.
I was blown away by how unique the menu is at Supergeil and that doner kebab is addicting!
The coal-fired grill in the back of Dearborn Meat Market, with a variety of meats slowly roasting over fire, is still one of the most heavenly things I ever smelled.
I will never forget some of the historical places I’ve been to as well - Like the London Chop House where the Ford’s used to dine, or Baker’s Keyboard Lounge where some of the greatest Jazz musicians have played, or visiting both Buddys and Cloverleaf and learning the story behind Detroit style pizza.
I could keep going on and on, but I will leave you with this...
Metro Detroit has a truly spectacular food scene, and watching it grow and flourish, and getting to be a part of it over the past 10 years has been an honor.
Watch the video above to see Michelle’s final Dine in the D and her goodbye with the “Live in the D” team.