Courtside Restaurant and Bar, Farmington Hills

The ingredients are locally sourced, the dishes are inventive, and the ambience blends sportiness and elegance. As guests watch sports on TV in the dining area, chefs at Courtside Restaurant and Bar elevate classic sports pub fare with creative glazes, premium ingredients, and interesting flavor pairings. For instance, they coat panko-crusted chicken strips in special sauces, such as the bourbon glaze and spicy zip sauce. For their handheld wraps, they favor underutilized options such as grilled salmon in a raspberry vinaigrette. Even classic desserts like their chocolate chunk cookie get a slight twist—chefs bake them in cast iron skillets.

As patrons sample these ambitious cuisines, they'll notice a modern, backlit bar with sleek metallic chairs. Elsewhere, they'll see cushy booths and ceilings high enough to accommodate a pro basketball players riding his giraffe to his booth.