Grosse Pointe, Michigan restaurants

[ryangary]

I am going to be staying a few days in Grosse Pointe, Michigan and was just wondering where I should eat. All type of places welcomed.

Edited September 27, 2006 by ryangary (log)

[Alex]

Gee, when I visit my old stomping grounds in GP I often drive to Windsor for dinner.

Outside of that, I'd recommend Jumps, on Kercheval, in GP Farms; Mack Avenue Diner, on Mack, in GP Woods; Vienna Cafe, on Mack, in GP Park; Steve's Mediterranean Cuisine (aka Steve's Backroom), on Jefferson in St. Clair Shores. Info about all of them (and more) is here.

[Matcha Eyes]

My sister and her husband live in Grosse Pointe and always recomend Lucy's Tavern. Fishbone's in St. Clair Shores also has a really diverse menu as well.

[annarborfoodie]

I'm a native Grosse Pointer and my parents still live there. I recently spent a week with them while in transition (husband had already moved to IL and I had to finish up at work). A brilliant new addition to the dining scene is City Kitchen. It's in "the Village" - which outsiders would call downtown Grosse Pointe. Lucy's is great for bar food - it's cozy and dark though. Jumps is more of a lunch spot IMO - but surprisingly good for a basement restaurant without much ambience.

[Alex]

I'm a native Grosse Pointer and my parents still live there.  I recently spent a week with them while in transition (husband had already moved to IL and I had to finish up at work).  A brilliant new addition to the dining scene is City Kitchen.  It's in "the Village" - which outsiders would call downtown Grosse Pointe.  Lucy's is great for bar food - it's cozy and dark though.  Jumps is more of a lunch spot IMO - but surprisingly good for a basement restaurant without much ambience.

←

Hey, cool. Thanks for the tip about City Kitchen! Here's a review.

A friend who still lives there says she really likes Cafe Nini Da Edoardo, on Kercheval in The Hill.

Edited September 28, 2006 by Alex (log)

[ryangary]

So what's the deal with the lack of a lot of good restaurants in this affluent part of Michigan.

[annarborfoodie]

Some would say that it's because Grosse Pointers don't like to spend their money... there has always been a dearth of good restaurants in GP. Another theory is that those who truly have money belong to private clubs, and often dine there. Despite the image, there are a lot of people in Grosse Pointe who are regular middle class people, and stretch their money to be able to afford a house and taxes so they can send their kids to GP schools. That doesn't leave a lot of money for fine dining.

[ryangary]

Yeah that's what I heard. I didn't mean to imply that there aren't any good restaurants just that given the landscape I would have expected more that's all.

[Alex]

To add to annarborfoodie's comments, the Pointes, although affluent, have always been a much more conservative area -- financially, politically, and culinarily -- than the affluent or relatively well-off northern and western 'burbs (e.g., Birmingham or Northville). Iin general, the residents are less apt to have even a moderately adventurous palate. They're also less apt to drive to the other side of town for dinner. Conversely, because the Pointes are relative small and geographically isolated, and because there are good restaurants north and west, the local places tend to draw most of their customers only from the immediate area.