Christine Cuisine

As if winning the admiration of customers across Detroit wasn’t enough, Chrystyna Adams, head chef and owner of Christine’s Cuisine, went ahead and earned a spot in Rachael Ray’s heart with her homemade pierogies, which the Food Network star deemed the best in Michigan. And pierogies aren't the only thing the Chrystyna can make. As Dining in the D discovered, the talented chef transforms beets and sour cream into decadent Ukrainian borsch, and keeps potato pancakes light, crispy, with her not-so-secret secret: adding oil to the batter, rather than the pan.

Yet, like David Hasselhoff's popularity, Chrystyna doesn’t stop in Eastern Europe. Her hand-written menus showcase items from across the globe. She brings flavors from Italy and Greece with eggplant parmesan and chicken athena dabbled with feta; she sends a shout out to America and its love for grilling and cows with blackened burgers paired with potato chips; and, she even turns breakfast up a notch with smoked salmon omelets, peanut butter and jelly waffles, and bacon and cheddar pancakes.