Eater Awards 2019: Here Are the Detroit Finalists #DetroitFood

Brittany Holloway-Brown for Eater

We narrow down the playing field for best new restaurant, design, and bakery of the year

Today, the process of choosing this year’s stars in the Detroit restaurant world — the Eater Awards winners for 2019 — continues apace. After fielding many solid ideas from readers during the course of our month-long nomination period, it’s time to narrow the playing field. There are five finalists in three categories: Best New Restaurant, Design of the Year, and Bakery of the Year.

Here they are:

Best New Restaurant:

Balkan House: A casual Bosnian diner serving one of the most-hyped dishes of the year — döner kebab.

Ochre Bakery: A bright and inviting cafe specializing in naturally leavened breads with an impressive seasonal menu of sandwiches, spreads, and pastries.

Saffron De Twah: A Moroccan-influenced American carryout restaurant-turned-dine-in spot with outstanding sandwiches and some of the warmest service in the city.

Magnet: A wood-fired restaurant with stellar Middle Eastern-style flatbreads, seasonal charred vegetables, and meats.

Yum Village: A come-as-you-are New Center restaurant serving bowls of soul-warming Afro-Caribbean food including lemon pepper jerk chicken, ginger curry chickpeas, and black-eyed pea fritters.

Design of the Year:

Karl’s: A convincing recreation of an old-fashioned luncheonette with a welcoming atmosphere that seamlessly transitions from day to night. Take a tour here.

Magnet: A vibey, modular restaurant in a former garage with a sunken bar, an open kitchen, and loads of blue tile. Take a tour here.

Pernoi: A secluded fine-dining restaurant with a loads of wood paneling, mid-century chairs, and lots of art. Take a tour here.

San Morello: A sprawling restaurant with high-ceilings, mid-century appeal, and tons of vibrant, patterned Spanish tile. Take a tour here.

Antihero: An izakaya-influenced restaurant with alcoved booths, blond woods, and eclectic murals throughout. Take a tour here.

Bakery of the Year:

Warda Patisserie: A patisserie with international influences and a immaculate selection of seasonal tarts, quiches, and cakes.

Cannelle By Matt Knio: A French patisserie with an awe-inspiring selection of delicate pastries, fresh breads, sandwiches, and quiche.

White Wolf Patisserie: A French and Japanese bakery and cafe with pastries, cakes, and cookies in flavors like matcha and yuzu.

Moose Pastry and Tea: A small Japanese and French-style pastry shop with adorable breads that stepped in to fill some big shoes.

Ochre Bakery: A Core City bakery with some of the best breads in the city and a case chock-full of stunning tarts, cakes, and flatbreads.

All of these finalists have either opened or come into their own in a new way between November 1, 2018 (the cutoff for last year’s nominees) to October 1, 2019. All of them were key contributors to making 2019 a great year of eating in Detroit. So please, take a moment to give these brave finalists a round of applause. Winners will be crowned, with much fanfare, on December 10, 2019.

• All Detroit Eater Awards Coverage [ED]
• All Eater Awards Coverage [ED]

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