Restaurants in Shelby

The Metropolitan Cafe's menu is diverse not just in plate size—there are tapas as well as full-size entrees—but also in its culinary inspirations. The dishes represent a bounty of international flavors, evident in small plates of flank steak nachos, Grecian wings glazed in lemon-garlic sauce, and oysters Rockefeller. The entrees feel global as well; the moussaka-stuffed shells burst with eggplant and kale, and the Michigan orchard pork chop is sweetened by sauteed apples and an apple-brandy reduction.

As suggested by the nostalgic bulb-lit sign and winged quarter notes flying through the dining room, The Metropolitan Cafe is also something of a music venue. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights host everything from blues-rock to soul and R&B.

Steiny’s Tavern honors barstool regulars with a rewards program replete with a special beer mug and VIP access to bar events—the first hint that Steiny’s is as much a community hub as it is a casual watering hole. In addition to honoring their regulars, owners Mama and Papa Bear Steinhurst have outfitted their parking lot with 20 bike parking spaces and furnish smokers with a heated outdoor smoking patio. The duo welcomes local bands and DJs many nights of the week and also shows sports broadcasts on 10 flat-screen TVs. A menu of barbecue specialties, salads, and sandwiches greets each diner, as does a friendly wait staff that encourages customers to chew every bite the recommended 32 times before swallowing.

In woks at Bangkok Cuisine, snow peas, shrimp, napa cabbage, and scallops snap sizzling drumrolls over the stove. Ingredients indigenous to Southeast Asia mingle in traditional Thai dishes, which also draw on the culinary traditions of the country’s neighbors. Catfish fillets marinate before chefs cover them in breading and garlic sauce, and shrimp, scallops, and squid evoke Thailand’s palm-tree-sprinkled coast. Chefs tailor each dish’s spiciness to individual palates, delighting daring diners with thai peppers hotter than two astronauts hugging on Mars. Fusion dishes include Chinese staples such as sweet-and-sour sauce.

Inspired by the Italian cafés lining the streets of Europe, the dreamers behind Pizzeria Dolce populate their menu with gourmet specialty pizzas as well as paninis, calzones, and strombolis. Daily-made, fresh dough underlies each traditional or gourmet topping, such as artichoke hearts, feta cheese, and pesto sauce. The staff is consistently friendly and warm, unlike an iceberg grumpy about all those boats aiming for it. Pasta dishes such as lasagna and shrimp-scampi ravioli round out the menu or fill catering platters alongside party trays of veggies and meats. The lunch and children’s menus dole out afternoon feasts and smaller portions, respectively, which can also be carried out or enjoyed by skiers sliding in from the slopes of the nearby Pine Knob Ski Resort.