Restaurants in Ferndale

Lebanese cuisine, with its blend of fresh vegetables, spiced meats, and infusions of garlic and olive oil, strikes a happy balance between healthfulness and flavor appeal. The chefs at Bostaan maintain that balance, blending chickpeas, fava beans, and veggies into crispy falafel and charbroiling chicken or lamb to fill savory shawarma wraps. The restaurant's staff also brews Arabic coffee and squeezes fresh juices from oranges, carrots, beets, and radishes, creating healthy blends that add color to cheeks and cultivate desires to sing arias with people at the gas pump.:m]]

Only at Fruit Fantasy could a swan have the tail feathers of a peacock, and only at Fruit Fantasy could those tail feathers actually be made of slices of orange, kiwi, strawberries, and grapes. The artistic designers arrange fruit bouquets and baskets for any occasion, which they craft from ripe eats such as watermelon, honeydew, cantaloupe, blackberries, and chocolate-dipped strawberries.

Cousins Elias Hajjar and Nicholas Aubrey take yearly trips back to Lebanon to visit their family, but they can eat authentic Lebanese cuisine without leaving the confines of their own restaurant. With Gemmayze, which is named after a bohemian neighborhood in Beirut, they "wanted to create not only a menu that exemplified what's happening in Beirut and Lebanon right now, but we wanted to re-create the atmosphere,” Hajjar said in a Detroit Metromix article. “So the colors on the walls and ceiling are light and very clean and refreshing, and the menu reflects that as well.”

Inside the multi-level dining room, dangling lights twist like a strand of DNA above tables topped with shareable plates of hummus, grape leaves, and kibbe nayee—minced raw meat with bulgur and spices. Each dish is made from scratch using recipes that date back generations. Nearby, decorative palm tree appliqués cling to windows and a large brushed metal frame displays a variety of vintage forks, which can only be wielded by the rightful ruler of England. After dinner, patrons can move into the lounge and perch atop comfy ottomans and banquettes swaddled in rich fabrics while sipping wine or a cocktail.

Metromix Detroit deemed On The Rocks Bar and Grill a classic neighborhood joint with "all the makings of a memorable night out" for its lively atmosphere and a jukebox that croons songs ranging from Jimi Hendrix to Johnny Cash. The spot's menu factors into those memorable nights with international eats including broiled new york strip steaks and Sopcka Salata, a traditional Macedonian salad with chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and feta cheese. Certified Angus burgers come dressed with fried eggs, dollops of Jack Daniels barbecue sauce, or leafy lettuce bonnets. Diners choose from more than 50 beers or numerous wines and spirits to complement their meals. The spot hosts events around Detroit Tigers games or karaoke equipment, where patrons can sing favorite songs or chant descriptions from the restaurant's menu.

The 200-year-old stone walls of Christine’s Creekside Inn sheltered an 18th-century grist mill, a knitting mill, and a Prohibition-era speakeasy before hosting executive chef and owner Doug Delong. This is a second homecoming for Delong, who was one of the original chefs here during the early 1990s when the restaurant was called Old Mill Inn. After an apprenticeship at the Green Hills Inn to study American and French cuisine, Delong returned to restore the elegance of the restaurant and pour two decades of experience into his hearty meat- and seafood-focused cuisine. Italian taste dominates the menu, so veal and chicken are draped in traditional sauces with lemon and capers, artichokes, or marsala wine to complement their tiny borsalino hats. Steaks are hand-cut from certified Angus beef and pair nicely with wine or a microbrew from the diverse list of 14 bottled beers.

Delicate iron chandeliers descend from timber beams in the peaked ceiling, but their soft glow seems unnecessary against a wall of arched windows that reach nearly two stories on their tippy toes. The broad hall exudes both cathedral grandeur and country charm, making it suitable for an elegant night out or a wedding reception.