Detroit, MI

What’s Cooking? Metro Detroit Dining News for January 2026

Published

2 months ago

January 21, 2026

What’s Cooking? Metro Detroit Dining News for January 2026

A rendering of the first level of Rock & Brews, set to open this spring in downtown Royal Oak. // Rendering courtesy of Rock & Brews

Coming to the Table

Rock & Brews

Where: Royal Oak
Slated to Open: Spring

Rock & Brews — the national restaurant concept founded by KISS’ Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley — plans to make its Michigan debut in downtown Royal Oak this spring in the former HopCat space. As Simmons is fond of saying, “I like being part of a rock and roll band, but I love being part of a rock and roll brand.”

The restaurant will feature three levels: a first-floor dining room; second floor bar with a live concert stage; and third floor open-air rooftop sky lounge with DJing. Beers, “rocktails,” and American fare will make up the menu. Notably, several locations serve a dish named after a Detroit native: Alice Cooper’s Poison Burger. KISS itself has numerous ties to Detroit and Michigan. “Detroit really embraced us before any other city,” Stanley told Howard Stern in 2023, when explaining the inspiration behind the band’s 1976 hit “Detroit Rock City.” 208 West Fifth Ave., Royal Oak; rockandbrews.com

Cardoon

Where: Sylvan Lake
Slated to Open: Spring

From the team behind Sylvan Table comes an all-in-one European-inspired bakery, all-day café, deli, and provisions market highlighting local and seasonal ingredients. Cardoon is designed to be “a place where you can grab everything needed for your upcoming dinner party and also enjoy a glass of wine and bowl of pasta before hurrying home after work,” according to a statement from the business.

The café will serve coffee, beer, wine, and cocktails all day. In the morning, it will feature breakfast plates and pastries. Its full-service deli will have sliced-to-order meats and cheeses. The food menu will include schiacciata and panuozzo sandwiches, fresh pastas, pizzas, rustic breads, and viennoiserie. Other selections include porchetta schiacciata, a Danish-style hot dog, mortadella and pesto panuozzo, Swedish cardamom buns, as well as house-made sausages and cured-in-house charcuterie. Cardoon will be owned by Sylvan Table owners Nicole and Tim Ryan and helmed by Scott Martinelli, the opening executive sous chef at Sylvan Table. 2190 Orchard Lake Road, Sylvan Lake; (website coming soon).

Hunã Bar

Where: Ann Arbor
Slated to Open: February

A new tiki bar is coming to the space below Echelon Kitchen & Bar with eats and drinks from the same staff. Hunã Bar will feature tiki drinks and pu pus prepared by Chef Joseph VanWagner. Additionally, memberships to the bar will be available offering perks like access to events, members-only days, priority reservations, merchandise, and more. 200 S Main St, Ann Arbor; huna.bar
For a list of more openings, see our article Metro Detroit Restaurants on Our Radar for 2026

New Metro Detroit Restaurants, Bars, and Cafés

Lola’s Taco Bar

Where: Grosse Pointe Woods

The interior of Lola’s Taco Bar in Grosse Pointe Woods was designed by Colin Tury. // Photo by Gerard + Belevender

Lola’s Taco Bar celebrated its grand opening on Monday, Jan. 12. It serves tacos, burritos, bowls, queso, rotisserie chicken, margaritas, beers and more in a fast-casual setting. One of its owners, Brandon McRill, founded Rebelle, a Michelin star-winning restaurant in New York City. 20195 Mack Ave., Grosse Pointe Woods; lolastacobar.com
Read our full article on Lola’s Taco Bar here.
Medusa Cucina Siciliana

This Sicily-inspired eatery is the second Detroit restaurant from SheWolf chef-owner Anthony Lombardo — a two-time James Beard Award semifinalist. Medusa officially debuted on Thursday, Jan. 15 in Midtown Detroit. The menu features wine, cocktails, Sicilian street food, pastas, couscous, and small seafood bites like Insalata di Mare (grilled octopus, shrimp, calamari, banana pepper, potato, caper dressing). 644 Selden St., Detroit; medusa-detroit.com
Read our full article on Medusa here.
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Slows Bar BQ Berkley

Founded in Corktown, Slows Bar BQ is known for staples like brisket, pulled pork, ribs, mac ’n cheese, and signature sandwiches like The Yardbird. Its new Berkley location finally opened in late December inside the former Berkley Common building. Weeks before that, it opened another location in downtown Ann Arbor. 3087 12 Mile Rd., Berkley; slowsbarbq.com
Recent Food & Beverage Headlines

Motor City Brewing Works is pausing operations on Feb. 8

Photograph courtesy of Motor City Brewing Works

A Cass Corridor staple for pizzas and house-brewed beers is taking a leave of absence, WXYZ reports. Motor City Brewing Works is the oldest operating microbrewery in Michigan The brewery’s steam line (which operates on Detroit’s 100-year-old thermal steam grid) has corroded, making brewing an impossibility, owner John Linardos tells WXYZ. While closed, the brewery will look for solutions to become independent from the grid and options for the future of the location.
Hygrade Deli has closed and is currently in receivership

The future of a historic deli on Michigan Avenue in Detroit remains uncertain. Hygrade Deli closed in late December and is in receivership after defaulting on two business loans, the Detroit Free Press reports. Hygrade first opened in 1955, over 70 years ago.
Upcoming Dining and Drinks Events

The Fed Community Wine Dinner

When: Wednesday, Jan. 28

Where: The Fed, Clarkston

Cost: Starts at $185 per ticket, available on Tock.

An exclusive wine dinner is happening in The Gold Bar, a “speakeasy”-style bar in the basement of The Fed. The event is open to current and prospective wine locker holders, or simply those who are interested in experiencing a multi-course meal with wine pairings. The evening will feature an afterglow with music from John Arnold.
Vodka Fest 2026

Sample vodkas and meet brand ambassadors from all over the world, who can provide insight on their products. Food is available for purchase, and the evening will feature DJs and dancing. Proceeds from the evening will benefit K9 Charities.
Galentine Night’s Out

Sip champagne and enjoy strolling bites at the hotel’s third annual Galentine Night’s Out Celebration. The night will include a cash bar, live DJ, DIY bath salt making station, bingo, and shopping booths from local vendors.
Super Bowl Sunday Brunch

When: Feb. 8

Where: Grey Ghost, Detroit

Cost: $55 per guest, reserve on Resy.

Get ready for the big game with a multi-course brunch of Super Bowl-inspired fare, with drinks available at additional cost.

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Detroit, MI

Retired Detroit sergeant faces new sexual assault charge involving 14-year-old victim from 2002

Published

6 hours ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

Retired Detroit sergeant faces new sexual assault charge involving 14-year-old victim from 2002

Updated on: March 27, 2026 / 12:23 PM EDT
/ CBS Detroit

An additional case, this one involving a victim who was then 14 years old, has been added to the sexual assault investigation against a former Detroit Police Department sergeant.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy announced the latest charges on Friday against Benjamin Martin Wagner, 68, who now lives in Greenville, N.C. He had retired from the Detroit Police Department in 2017.

The victim in the additional charges was 14 years old when the assault happened in October 2002 in Detroit, Worthy said. The prosecutor alleges that Wagner approached the victim, pointed a handgun at her, ordered her away from the location and then sexually assaulted her.

In this case, he faces charges of kidnapping, two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct. An arraignment hearing took place Friday in the 36th District Court in Detroit. A probable cause conference is scheduled for April 7.

The woman is now 37 years old.

“She has lived with what happened to her for 23 years and has now bravely decided that she wants to be a part of holding him accountable,” Worthy said.

Wagner participated in a court hearing Thursday and was remanded to jail, one week after he was charged with 15 counts of kidnapping and rape in five separate sexual assault cases. All of those incidents happened between 1999 and 2003 in the northwest side of Detroit, with the victims being young women between the ages of 15 and 23.

The court dates for the earlier list of charges are April 7 for a probable cause hearing and April 14 for a preliminary exam.

Wagner joined the Detroit Police Department in 1989 as a police officer and was eventually promoted to sergeant. He retired in 2017 and moved to North Carolina.

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Detroit, MI

Metro Detroit weather forecast, March 26, 2026 — 11 p.m. Update

Published

18 hours ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

Metro Detroit weather forecast, March 26, 2026 — 11 p.m. Update

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Detroit, MI

Fangirl Culture is Front and Center as Detroit Mercy Theatre Company Presents a Zany Y2K Comedy

Published

1 day ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

Fangirl Culture is Front and Center as Detroit Mercy Theatre Company Presents a Zany Y2K Comedy

I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire closes Detroit Mercy’s 55th Season

DETROIT — Detroit Mercy Theatre Company (DMTC) closes the inaugural season of the new Detroit

Mercy Black Box Theatre with I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire by Samantha Hurley, playing April 10-19 on University of Detroit Mercy’s McNichols Campus.

I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire is set in 2004 and follows 14-year-old Shelby Hinkley, who is obsessed with Hollywood star Tobey Maguire and creates a play to kidnap and marry him in her basement.

“This play is as hilarious as it is heartfelt,” said DMTC managing director Sarah Rusk. “Shelby truly believes Tobey Maguire is her destiny, and through her obsession we get a look into the complicated emotions of growing up during the Y2K era.”

“I absolutely love working with young actors,” said director Cassandra Svacha.

Student Actor, Rileyt McDevitt. Detroit Mercy — *Student actor* ***Riley McDevitt,*** *Photo by Alan Devlin*

“Watching them create and rise to the challenge is thrilling. I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire to college-aged kids is like a period piece; none of them were alive when this story takes place so it’s extra fun to have them dive into this world in an anthropologic way. They aren’t reminiscing or remembering 2004, they have to study that world and build it for themselves.”

I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire runs six performances April 10-19 at the new Detroit Mercy Black Box Theatre on University of Detroit Mercy’s McNichols Campus. The DMTC Ticket Office is open Tuesday-Thursday 10 a.m.- 2 p.m., with tickets being available for purchase anytime online at www.DetroitMercyArts.com.

Individual tickets are $25 for adults, $18 for seniors and Detroit Mercy faculty, staff and alumni, and $10 for veterans and students (ages 4-college). Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. To schedule your group, contact Sarah Rusk at 313-993-3273.

Those looking to buy tickets should note that the play is rated R and contains adult language and