Restaurants in Royal Oak

Mosaic's ceiling looks like a sculpture from Poseidon's undersea art gallery. Hand-blown blue glass and a droplet-shaped light fixture make it resemble the ocean. Waterfalls plummet to granite floors, binding the earth and heavens with more grace and ferocity than a saber-toothed ballerina. This dramatic scene is a fitting prelude to the restaurant's menu, which spans several oceans to incorporate fare from Greece, France, and Japan. Japanese ingredients pepper several seafood dishes, which range from tuna tataki sushi to chilean sea bass steeped in a sake lee marinade. The Greek influences stem from owners Athina, Maria, and Stella Papas, who cut their teeth at Pegasus, their father's iconic Greektown restaurant, and the French element emanates from Executive Chef Mark Kelly, who studied Gallic cuisine in culinary school. Together, these inspirations flavor fruit-studded goat-cheese salads and lamb chops brushed with olive oil and lemon juice. A sprawling list of wines and martinis pairs nicely with fare from all three countries and encourages patrons to mingle in the lounge area where DJs perform each weekend.

The only Detroit eatery named to OpenTable's 2011 list of top 50 scenic-view restaurants, Coach Insignia lets diners soak in views of the city from the 71st and 72nd floors of the GM Renaissance Center. In the sky-high kitchen, executive chef Frank Turner gives traditional dishes a modern twist—for instance, a corn-dog appetizer comes stuffed with fried lobster, and standards like veal Oscar share menu space with Asian-fusion pan-seared tofu. Turner and his staff also grill USDA prime and certified Angus beef steaks and source fresh local ingredients from Michigan farmers and markets whenever possible. Additionally, the 720-bottle wine list earned Wine Spectator's "Best Of" Award of Excellence in 2011.

Awarded the Best Casual Entree people's-choice title during PNC Bank's Taste of Troy in 2011, Slab 'N Slice keeps ovens occupied with house-marinated wings, fresh deep-dish pizza, and steaming pastas in made-from-scratch alfredo and marinara sauces. To view the entire menu, click here.

As blues and R&B tunes pour from the speakers, the aromas of Southern cooking spill from Beans & Cornbread's open kitchen, making mouths water for country favorites. The dishes don't disappoint. From gumbo and catfish to fried chicken and pork chops, each entree oozes flavor and comfort, backed by the addition of homestyle sides such as candied sweet potatoes and black-eyed peas. It's down-home through and through, but as Gayot pointed out, the chef's "experience in upscale restaurants becomes evident" in each dish. The kitchen strives to use the highest quality ingredients, including fresh salmon filets, local collard greens, and farm-raised catfish that know how to milk a cow.

Metromix praised Beans & Cornbread's "modern elegance . . . with cushy purple booths and Motown and jazz memorabilia hanging on the walls." The restaurant also encompasses two other ambiance-rich spaces: Sidebar wine and martini bar, a sleek lounge with a copper bar and occasional live music, and Red Velvet, a VIP suite with leopard-print club chairs and an AV system ideal for parties and meetings of up to 50 people.

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]]

Understanding how difficult it can be to eat healthfully while participating in the daily grind, Salad 101's owners contribute quick solutions to the community bustling around Midtown. The menu boasts seven gourmet sandwiches, including the turkey and swiss, eight hot paninis, and the Wayne State Reuben drizzled in russian dressing and geography-quiz answers. Soups include a piping-hot daily special, and a full salad bar lets diners craft their own greeny medleys. With 10 premade salads to go, such as a fattoush bouquet, Salad 101's staff enables patrons to eat well when too busy to dine in or rent their own chef.