DETROIT – Two restaurants in Detroit have ranked among the New York Times' list of best dishes in the U.S.
Writers traveled to more than 30 states to determine which restaurants would earn a spot on the list.
One of the Detroit dishes named on the “The 26 Best Dishes We Ate Across the U.S. in 2024″ list is the ham sandwich from Mike’s Famous Ham Place.
The diner that is known for its ham dishes, thick soups and pickle-paired sandwiches has been serving customers on Detroit’s west side since 1961. Sadiq “Mike” Muftari, who has run the eatery since 1974, recently sold the restaurant to longtime customers.
Here’s what the New York Times had to say about Mike’s Famous Ham Place:
“I don’t know if Mike Muftari dreams of ham, but his ham sandwich has been on my mind since May,” said New York Times writer Sara Bonisteel. “He’s been plying pork for 50 years at Mike’s Famous Ham Place on a desolate stretch of Michigan Avenue. His is an honest and satisfying sandwich built on a poppy-seed roll, with five or six solid planks of ham, a slice of cheese, a squirt of yellow mustard and some pickles. He sold the business in October, but has stayed on through the end of the year to teach the new owners the ropes. Aside from forms of payment, they don’t plan to change a thing.”
The other Detroit restaurant that made the list is Leila, for its Lebanese Sundae.
The restaurant is located in the Capitol Park area of the city and opened in 2019.
“Arriving to the table like a Star Trek tribble ready for a night on the town, this dessert holds your attention from the first bite,” said Bonisteel. “Pistachios cover the mop of fairy floss atop the dish, and ashta, the rose-flavored ice cream with hints of orange blossom water, hides underneath the gossamer. The restaurant, on Capitol Park in downtown Detroit, is named for the matriarch of the Eid family, also the owners of Phoenicia, and the menu nods to home cooking. This dessert delights with its simplicity and whimsy.”
To find out what other dishes from across the country were ranked among the best, check out the full New York Times list.
