Restaurants in Monroe

The Town Pump Tavern's menu boasts pint pairings such as the Black and Blue Bites (wonton-wrapped infusion of roasted red peppers, blue cheese, and blackened chicken served with a side of ranch and toughness, $7) or a refreshingly crisp order of fried pickles ($4). Heartier options include the toasted-rye Reuben ($7) or brow-dripping half-pound Firehouse Burger complete with Cajun seasoning and fresh jalapeños ($7.75). Come rain, meteor shower, or impromptu spelling bee, happy hour runs seven days a week with the exception of December 25. From 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., guests can meet up with friends, enjoy dollar food items, and hitch a ride on the free Red Wings shuttle to home games.

Strawberry Moon's menu serves up freshly baked bread and pastries made from organic flour plucked straight from the vine. Lovers of loaves can opt for breads ranging from classics such as honey whole wheat ($3.89) to game-changing explosions of flour-flecked flavor such as jalapeño cheddar ($5.89). Dessert desirers need look no further than the pastries, muffins, and cookies—including the bakery's namesake, a crescent confection topped with pink icing—lining the bakery's shelves. Despite the sweet-tooth façade put up by Strawberry Moon, a streak of eclectic edibles runs through the fare, as sandwiches and pizzas also populate the menu. Gourmet pizzas include the Full Moon ($15.19 for a 14-inch pizza), a flavorful caravan of meats, onions, green peppers, mushrooms, black olives, and pineapple, and the Julius C ($15.09 for a 14-inch pizza), a satisfying slab of creamy Caesar sauce, mozzarella, romano, grilled chicken, and fresh tomato. Oven-baked sandwiches of note include a cucumber sandwich ($6.19) with wasabi and Swiss cheese, and the Funky Monkey ($4.89), where banana and honey ride a groovy bass line of organic peanut butter.

Nestled amid Detroit's downtown art museums, this café holds its own with inspired European ambience and beautifully plated crêpes. The crêperie serves up nearly 50 predetermined combos of crêpes ($4.50–$8). Each warmly wrapped medley is bestowed with a name to match its distinct personality. Take Rachel, a s'mores-infused treat who likes long hikes through the forest ($6.50), or Dana, who embraces hearty chicken, bold brie, pesto, and sun-dried tomatoes ($8). Vera garnishes her purse with glistening bacon, decadent boursin cheese, and green-leafed spinach ($6.50). Liz, a strawberry-infused blonde, picks blueberries by day and moisturizes with nutella each night before bed ($7). Good Girls Go To Paris Crepes evens out sweet teeth with bold-roasted Intelligentsia brews and other fair-trade coffees.

When door-to-door canvassing for the civil liberties of corgis leaves your midday mouth watering, make a pit stop at Mudgie's, where the menu boasts more than 20 specialty sandwich selections filled with hearty portions of house-cooked meats and local products. Stop by for a Madill ($9), the warm, open-face delight of roasted turkey, smoked bacon, veggies, melted pepper jack, and house-made garlic mayo that was crowned one of Detroit Free Press's Top 21 sandwiches of 2008. Or opt for the That's Jared ($8.75), a warm kaiser roll topped with corned beef and swiss cheese buried under a scoop of house-made redskin potato salad. Homemade soups debut fresh flavors daily ($3.75/cup), while fresh salads (starting at $2.50) and an abundance of vegetarian and vegan sandwiches round out the menu.

The green grocer sources local and sustainable sustenance from area farms and gourmet suppliers to offer locally harvested consumers from a new Midtown storefront. Local produce harvested bi-weekly from the Eastern Market is available for the picking or juggling alongside perishables and dry goods from local and socially responsible vendors. Stock up on organic spices to season your award-winning mole sauce, or gift a selection of gourmet teas and coffee beans from The Great Lakes Coffee Roasting Company to the chronically thirsty member of your acting troupe. Creamy confections and rBST-free dairy delights from Michigan’s Caulder Dairy will delight dairietarians and provide the perfect complement to the crunchy breakfast crumbles of Randy’s Granola.

The chefs at Angelina’s Italian Bistro quell international cravings with a menu forged from house-made and handcrafted pastas, as well as organic meats, free-range poultry, and fresh seafood. Antipasti plates awaken appetites like an Oompa Loompa playing reveille with such delectable shareables as the smoked and cured salmon, trout, and white anchovy of the pesce dish ($9–$12.50). Rice hobnobs with a medley of exotic mushrooms, parmesan cheese, and sautéed leeks in the wild-mushroom risotto ($17), and billowy ravioli rafts sail braised pork across a sea of marzetti sauce lined with broccolini trees and cremini mushrooms ($18.50). Mouths save themselves from salivary embarrassment with flood-blocking bites of tender Sicilian brick chicken, seasoned in basil oil and resting beside a volcanic mound of parmesan mashed potatoes ($18). Endnotes such as the mascarpone cheesecake sing a sweet lullaby before sending diners off to enter talks with striking sugar-plum fairies ($7.50).