Michigan-Based Company Opens Bagger Dave's Restaurant in Shelby Township

The long-awaited burger shop, Bagger Dave's, is now open in Shelby Township.

The model electric train circling around Bagger Dave's newest restaurant in Shelby Township is roaring, and so is business. The Michigan-owned and operated burger joint opened it's ninth location at the Hall Road Crossing Shopping Center on Hall Road and Schoenherr, Sunday. The chain is owned by Michael Ansley of Bloomfield. Ansley is the Presidnet and CEO of Diversified Restaurant Holdings, Inc. which owns and operates Bagger's Dave and Buffalo Wild Wings franchises. The Southfield-based company operates 29 restaurants, 22 Buffalo Wild Wings (14 in Michigan and eight in Florida) and seven Bagger Dave's locations in Michigan, and one in Missouri. DRH said it has plans to have a total of 34 restaurants operating by year's end. However, …

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Joe Foodie

Tirami Su: Elegant Italian Food, Casual Atmosphere

Tirami Su is serving simple, made-from-scratch Italian food that is both elegant and accessible.

When looking for a romantic night out, it seems like Italian is always the go-to choice. The problem, of course, has to do with the overabundance of Italian restaurants. With so many choices, it is hard to differentiate.   Nothing against the Olive Gardens and Macaroni Grills of the area, but if given a choice between locally owned or chain, I would choose locally owned every single time. Tirami Su is an elegant yet casual Italian restaurant.  Nice enough for a first date or anniversary dinner, but laid-back enough for a dinner with old friends. Owner Joe D'Anna has crafted a menu that relies on cuisine from both the northern and southern sections of Italy.   A traditional family-style Italian meal will require at least a couple hours of …

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Joe Foodie

The Metropolitan Cafe: International Fusion In Shelby

Even though Metropolitan Cafe has only been open since May 2010, they are making waves well beyond Shelby Township. With their wide range of well made dishes, Metropolitan Cafe may soon be a true dining destination.

Gary Barney has no formal training in the restaurant industry. Not that you could ever tell. The former owner of Howe's Bayou in Ferndale is now flying solo at Metropolitan Cafe. Metropolitan Cafe was recently recognized as one of the Detroit Free Press best new restaurants of 2010 and with good reason. The menu is diverse with cuisine from France, Mexico, Spain and the Mediterranean.    Chef Alexis Henslee trained at Schoolcraft and worked as chef de cuisine at Tribute. Although there are entrees on the menu, Chef's focus is tapas. Barney wants Metropolitan Cafe to be more than a restaurant, he wants it to be a social gathering place.   The concept had been circling in Barney's head for years. After a long search and looking at various …

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Joe Foodie

Khom Fai: A Thai Dining Experience

Khom Fai is owned by Chris and Isaiah Sonjeow. Their focus is on fresh ingredients and bold flavors. Khom Fai does not try to change traditional Thai cuisine, rather they focus on doing it well.

Chef Isaiah Sonjeow has a simple question: "When did people start deciding that not bad was good?"   He is speaking of the "not bad" phenomenon of dining out.   "On a Friday night Applebee's has a 30-minute wait. You can't tell me they have better food than us." Sonjeow continues.   Isaiah together with his brother Chris opened Khom Fai on Sept. 9, 2010.  Their father has been working in the restaurant industry for years. Both Chris and Isaiah have helped their father at his Maumee, OH, restaurant.  "One thing about Thai restaurants is they are almost always owned by Thai people," Isaiah said. Considering the complexity and nuanced flavors present in Thai cooking, Isaiah's point makes sense.   Khom Fai's menu is focused. Thirty items have …

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Joe Foodie

Tivoli's Wood Brick Oven Pizzeria: More Than Pizza

Tivoli's has been serving pizza for decades. Its wood-burning oven makes the pizza a special treat. Aside from pizza, Tivoli's has a number of other items worth trying.

Pizza is a topic that can divide households.  Round or square? Deep dish or thin crust? Wood burning or gas oven? My thought? Who cares, as long as it's good? There are examples of good pizza and bad pizza, but life is short, so don't waste your time on the bad stuff—especially when the good stuff is so close. Tivoli's Wood Brick Oven Pizzeria definitely serves good pizza. Tivoli's does other things well, too.  The key to Tivoli's success is its namesake—the wood brick oven. First, the starters We'll talk about the pizza in a bit.  I was lucky enough to take a tour of the menu, sampling an item or two from each section.   For some reason, nearly every pizza place under the sun serves chicken wings. Instead of serving 10 types, Tivoli's …

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