Across downtown and metro Detroit, a wide range of eateries opened or announced openings in September.
There’s a new spot downtown for virtual sports watching with upscale bar food. An acclaimed pastry chef brings his craft to Detroit’s Core City and a pizza spot that hails from Toledo opens an Ann Arbor location.
Openings
Cosm
A new “shared reality,” Cosm opened in time for the Detroit Lions first home game.
This venue in downtown Detroit across from Cadillac Square is a place for sports, events and films with a technology-packed experience. There’s wall-to-wall high-resolution screens, and the main attraction is an 87-foot-diameter, 12K+ LED dome. The venue spans 70,000 square feet across three levels. It’s designed to make game and film watching a virtual
experience. Inside there are two bars and the food menu includes sports-watching offerings like wings, pizza and burgers.
Harrison’s Restaurant and Wine Bar
This new spot in downtown Rochester is officially open with a menu that includes Italian specialties, beef entrees, burgers and wood fired pizzas. There’s an extensive wine by glass or bottle list.
At 401 S. Main Street, Harrison’s has a special homecoming menu on Oct. 3 and Oct. 10 for groups of eight or more.
For $35 per person there’s a choice of an entree, mocktail or house beverage and tiramisu for dessert.
Its happy hour is 4-6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday at the bar only with a menu of select offerings, including French onion soup ($6), a smash burger with fries ($12) and drink specials.
Harrison's Restaurant and Wine Bar, 401 S. Main Street, Rochester; harrisonsrochester.com
North Eight Kitchen and Cocktails
In Novi at 21420 Novi Road, North Eight Kitchen and Cocktails' grand opening took place Sept. 17 after several days of a soft opening. Lunch is 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. daily with sandwiches, soups, salads and main dishes such as pasta and filet mignon. Dinner options include steaks and chops, chicken, pastas and seafood. Both lunch and dinner have separate gluten-free menus. North Eight is from the owners of Benstein Grille in Commerce Township. North Eight Kitchen and Cocktails, 21420 Novi Rd., Novi; northeightkitchen.com
Nuvrei MC
This bakery and cafe opened in Detroit’s Core City neighborhood just after Labor Day. From acclaimed pastry chef Marius Pop, the MC in Nuvrei MC stands for “matcha” and “coffee.” Nuvrei MC is an extension of Nuvrei, the Portland, Oregon, bakery Pop founded in 2004. It's known for its breads and viennoiseries. In Core City, Nuvrei took over the former Cafe Prince space, which is the first phase of its Detroit presence.
Plans are to expand to the former Lady of the House space several doors down.
Nuvrei MC, 4884 Grand River Ave. Unit 1A, Detroit; nuvrei.com
Ray’s Hometown Bar
In Parker’s Alley, Ray’s Hometown Bar opened Sept. 1 in the former Mister Dip’s space.
Ray’s is billed as a neighborhood spot that embraces the city. In Detroit, there’s bar, booth and banquette seating, plus private dining amid walls with artwork and Detroit memorabilia.
Its food menu features elevated classic bar fare from burgers to hot dogs to shareable snacks. Beverage-wise, expect classic martinis and cocktails, frozen drinks, local beer and wine. Ray’s is a collaboration between Authentic Hospitality and NoHo Hospitality group, the folks behind San Morella and Evening Bar. This is the fourth Ray’s location. Others are in New York’s lower east side and Brooklyn, and Miami. Hours are 4-midnight Monday, 4 p.m.-2 a.m. Tuesday-Friday, noon-2 a.m. Saturday and noon-midnight Sunday. Happy hour is everyday until 7 p.m.
Ray's Hometown Bar, 19 E. Grand River Ave., (Parker's Alley) Detroit; raysbarnyc.com
Stubborn Brother Pizza Bar
Occupying nearly 6,000 square feet of space on the ground floor of the Standard, a student housing community near the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, is the new Stubborn Brother Pizza Bar.
The spot hails from Toledo, where it has one location. It offers East Coast style pizza that uses unbleached organic flour and a five-day cold fermentation for its dough.
According to a news release, the pizza spot uses a “specialized water filtration technology” to “replicate the exact mineral profile of New York City tap water.”
Now open at 405 South Main Street, the Stubborn Brother has a take-out kitchen and full-service dining for its 18-inch pizzas, slices, appetizers, salads and strombolis.
Expanding North to Ann Arbor, the pizza spot is designed for family meals, late-night student dining or game days. There’s seating for 180 across the dining room and bar, with TVs throughout. There’s also the E. William Street Door, a dedicated entrance facing East William Street for rapid pickup, online orders, and by-the-slice lunch specials.
The Stubborn Brother, 405 South Main Street, Ann Arbor; stubbornbrother.com
Waka by Baobab
Inspired by its Waka food truck with East African street food, Waka by Baobab Fare is now open at Eastern Market. A sister brand of award-winning Baobab Fare in Detroit’s New Center, Waka opened in the space formerly occupied by Russell Street Deli at 2465 Russell St. Waka’s brick-and-mortar location at Eastern Market was announced in 2024 by husband-and-wife owners and James Beard Award nominees Hamissi Mamba and Nadia Nijimbere, the Burundian couple behind the popular restaurant Baobab Fare and Waka food truck. On the menu at Waka at Eastern Market are East African-style stewed meats and vegetables wrapped in chapati, a flaky East African flatbread. Other menu features will be street food dishes like grilled skewered meat kabobs, called brochettes.Waka by Baobab Fare, 2465 Russell St., Detroit; baobabfare.com/waka/
New openings planned:
BurgerFi
A new location is in the works in Ypsilanti at 2997 Washtenaw Road. This marks the second Michigan location for the chain that has a location in Northville as well as in other states.
BurgerFi is under the Happy Group umbrella of restaurants that includes Savvy Sliders, Happy’s Pizza and Fat Boy’s Pizzas. The burger joint has more than 75 locations across the U.S. and in Puerto Rico. In June, Northville’s BurgerFi “Rodeo Burger” wowed judges to earn top honors at Burger Battle Detroit.
Cass Cafe
A longstanding institution in Midtown, the Cass Cafe has plans to reopen. At 4620 Cass Avenue, the beloved spot had a brief opening Sept. 12 for the annual Dally in the Alley and is planning a grand opening for Nov. 6.
Coco’s Chophouse
A late 2026 opening is planned for Coco's Chop House in Rochester Hills. In the space formerly occupied by a Bigalora location, Coco's Chop House will serve dry-aged steaks as well as have a focus on dry-aging seafood. The restaurant will strive to be a zero waste kitchen.
Einstein Bros. Bagels
Downtown Detroit’s first Einstein Bros. Bagels is coming to the lobby of the One Campus Martius building. The location is expected to open in mid-October with a full menu, including an assortment of its bagels, offer catering and third-party delivery.
Noble Duck Japanese Sushi & Steakhouse
This is a new concept from Detroit chef Omar Mitchell and owner of Table No. 2 in Greektown, to open at the Mall of Partridge Creek in Clinton Township. Offering modern Japanese dining, Noble Duck will have premium ingredients, live-fire cooking, craft beverages and sushi under a nearly 5,000 square foot space. Mitchell expects a late 2026 opening and hopes to get it ready for the holiday.
Contact Detroit Free Press food and restaurant writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news and tips to: sselasky@freepress.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @SusanMariecooks. Subscribe to the Eat Drink Freep newsletter for insider scoops on food and dining in metro Detroit.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Notable metro Detroit dining spots that opened in September
