There’s nothing I’ve missed more during this pandemic than traveling.  I travel to eat, so my itinerary usually revolves around food. 

Joe and I used to take an annual trip to NYC to visit the latest and greatest restaurants.  One of my fondest memories was at one of our first Michelin starred restaurants, Marea.  I was new to the Michelin scene and was a little intimidated by the location and pricing, but sure enough, those experiences slowly kick started my self proclaimed food snobbery. 

Marea is still one our most memorable meals, with elegantly prepared seafood and perfect pastas. When Oak & Reel first opened up a few moths ago, I had heard a lot of great things.  It wasn’t until I learned it was Marea’s own chef de cuisine who opened Oak & Reel that I became interested.

The location is great; near downtown Detroit, but with ample parking beside the building.  The ambiance was very cool and clean; clean lines and open layout, with the most delicious smokey smell wafting throughout the restaurant. 

Here are some pictures from the February tasting we did: 

Everything from that menu was prepared impeccably.  I could not have been more impressed…..so much so that we went back for the March tasting.  Things were a little different this time around, as we were given options to select for our courses rather than the pre-selected prix fixe menu.

Every item was perfect. Everything was immaculately presented, cooked properly, and tasted amazing. Although there were mostly seafood dishes, nothing tasted fishy or briny.

In fact, the Paccheri pasta, which featured a tuna bolognese, was so meaty in flavor, you’d have never known there was any fish. Everything had a good amount of salt, acid, and umami.

This restaurant is a dream come true for Detroit, and I hope it is here to stay!