Michigan

Pot and Box founder Lisa Waud seems to be at the intersection of everything floral and cool and beautiful in Detroit. For starters, she was the mastermind behind the Fall 2015 project, Flower House, which brought together thirty-seven florists and designers from Michigan and across the country to decorate an abandoned house (which Waud purchased) in neighboring Hamtramck with American-grown flowers. Waud is now at work turning this surrounding land into a flower farm, where she hopes to welcome more visitors (the house drew more than three thousands in a few days), and host workshops and events. (Waud's already started a few market series and a flower week elsewhere in Detroit.) Until then—and before her forthcoming brick and mortar opens—you can shop her adorable flower truck a few weekday afternoons: Wednesday by The Red Hook in West Village, Thursday by Astro Coffee in Corktown, and Friday by Citybird in Midtown. Oh, and Pot and Box also does weddings, weekly flower deliveries, and other events.

Co-owners Molly Mitchell (the chef) and Lucy Carnaghi (front of house) are actually cousins, who became close spending summers on their grandparents' farm in Northern Michigan. Sourcing locally is a big part of their business, and they have a laundry list of local farms, gardens, and other producers that provide ingredients for their seasonally changing menu.

Run by Herman Hayes, known in Detroit as Uncle Herm, Dilla's Delights honors the memory of his late nephew, the influential hip hop producer J Dilla. When it opened in 2016, the highly anticipated shop quickly—by 8 a.m.—sold out. Hayes uses organic ingredients to make his oft-inventive, sought after flavors. While there are no seats at Dilla's, fans make use of the narrow counter space looking out onto Downtown Detroit.

There really isn't any place similar to The Farmer's Hand in the neighborhood of Corktown, and perhaps not any where else in the city. The combined market and cafe, opened by two women (one a Detroit native and the other an Australian transplant) in Fall 2016, sells produce and groceries from local growers, along with a thoughtful edit of homeware and beauty products, plus coffee and a rotating line-up of sandwiches. The shop is tiny but that feels like a benefit in this case: You can pick up a latte or take a seat for breakfast, buy organic ingredients for that night's meal, and find a gift in one fell swoop.

Le Petit Zinc is a sweet, unexpected French escape in an otherwise fairly quiet stretch of Corktown. The fenced-in back patio is arranged with wrought iron outdoor furniture and colorful lounge chairs, made for hanging in warmer months. Behind the zinc metal bar inside, you can watch the crepes being made in the open kitchen space. The savory selections—like fromage de chevre et epinards (goat cheese marinated in olive oil and rosemary, with spinach and pine nuts)—are memorable.

Known as the café for discerning coffee drinkers, Anthology is located in the dead-end parking lot where Porter and Vermont Street meet. (The low, grey brick building tatted in murals is easy to miss on a first drive-by.) Drinks are served from a central island coffee bar that's flanked by a row of small tables in the clean, industrial-hip space. Note that Anthology is not opened on Wednesday or Thursday.

A hole-in-the-wall in the Greektown district of Downtown Detroit, Golden Fleece has been around since the beginning of the 1970's. It specializes in super-clutch, late-night food: gyros, souvlaki, shish kebabs, saganaki, and so on.

Sister Pie is everything you want it to be upon simply hearing its name. Housed in an adorable corner spot in West Village, the bakery makes an-ever changing line-up of pies based on what's in season, from salted maple, to apple sage gouda, to cranberry crumble. Pies are available for order two days in advance for pick-up at Sister Pie's L-shaped counter bar. And in-house spots are available around the cozy communal table.

The name of this bagel spot says it all. The bagels here emerge from a labor-intensive, 30-hour process that includes both boiling and baking—and lend them the perfect chewy texture. You can opt to try them as one of several egg sandwiches, or pair them with spreads ranging from Butternut Squash Tahini to Sriracha Lentil. The only thing more comforting than the shop’s earthy wood floors and weathered brick is the amazing smell coming from the ovens.

Astro is the picture definition of a local indie coffee shop: chalkboard menu, painted floral backdrop, vintage globe atop a small wood table, antique-y turquoise kitchen cabinet, lingering locals, on-point egg sandwiches (with rosemary aioli), and of course beloved coffee drinks. Combine your stop here with a visit to the Detroit Artifactry store across the street.