If you ask The Beverly what the Midwest tastes like, the answer will vary.
A salty, fatty pork coppa served at the restaurant, which opened in Berkley on Coolidge Highway and Beverly Boulevard in January, will tell you the Midwest tastes like comfort and apples, the quintessentially American fruit sought for wholesome pleasure. Tender wings coaxed in za’atar say it tastes like smoke and spice, thanks to Middle Eastern settlers who brought bold flavors west, and chubby mushrooms with thick stalks that burst with an earthy jus suggests it tastes like Michigan woodlands.
A fixed rotation of daily specials err on the side of Southern comfort. On a Monday, I sat next to a couple whose meatloaf and buttermilk mashed potatoes appeared untouched. I feared
the full plate signaled a lackluster dish, but tried it anyway. As it happens, what looked like a full portion was just a quarter of the titanic serving size. I tend to buck the perception of Southeast Michigan as a meat-and-potatoes region, but a slab of pork and beef brushed in a tangy barbecue sauce and served with smashed redskins that taste like a warm glass of full-fat milk turns the snub to a compliment.
Wednesday’s offering is a gloriously crunchy fried half-chicken served with vinegary pickles and the best warm, fluffy cheddar biscuits outside of a Red Lobster, Fridays are for fish fries and on Saturdays, a half-rack of ribs served with a hunk of sweet corn cornbread shows you how barbecue is done in the Midwest – think the decadent flavors you might find in Texas, shrunken down to a manageable plate for one.
The place is a stark contrast to Bar Pigalle, the French-inspired restaurant owner Travis Fourmant opened in Brush Park in 2022. Whereas Bar Pigalle is moody, dim and decorated in deep gem tones, The Beverly is flooded with natural light so bright a diner with a large party seated in the center of the room reached over my head to lower the shades.
Walls here are illustrated in floral wallpapers with pastels and dusty neutrals, botanical sketches and natural materials, but the interiors are not the sum of their feminine parts. The space feels androgynous, modern and sleek with camel-colored leather banquettes, pops of blue and dark wood throughout.
In another stark contrast, The Beverly is unlike today’s chef-driven restaurants, where the culinary lead holds the scepter and their omnipotent voice reverberates from the dining room to the menu and beyond. Instead, the north star here is the natural world that surrounds the restaurant. What does the Midwest taste like? The ingredients of the locale define that.
Grilled flat beans that resemble slivers of charred nopales are sourced from Del Bene Produce, which delivers fresh Michigan produce to local restaurants like The Beverly. They’re gorgeously green and glimmering in flakes of salt as if sprinkled with glitter. Smoked whitefish is culled from Lake Superior and burger buns are from the original Crispelli’s Bakery and Pizzeria about a mile from the restaurant.
Smoke curls from a cinnamon stick the size of a fat cigar inside tart, mildly sweet cider from Franklin Cider Mill, and though oysters aren’t native to the region, The Beverly favors East Coast mollusks over those found in West Coast waters for their closer proximity to Michigan.
Then there’s the Midwest charm. When restaurants open in some residential neighborhoods, longtime residents and business owners often sneer at the sudden buzz that interrupts otherwise quiet streets. The Beverly, however, has been embraced in a neighborly hug that makes guests feel as welcome to Berkley as the restaurant itself. City officials have rerouted traffic, directing diners to a municipal lot just north of the restaurant, and the Berkley Public Library generously allows diners to park in its free lot just across the street whenever busy nights lead to an overspill.
Service is professional, prompt and lighthearted. Servers carry on the same friendly affect with the cool energy of a new acquaintance who wants your friendship without seeming overzealous.
It’s the kind of place for a dinner date or brunch with the kids, a lowkey drink at the bar or a celebration at a table for six – even if only to celebrate the joy of being alive.
Dishes are simple yet meticulous, akin to no-makeup makeup that takes the same effort and time as a full face. Swordfish schnitzel is a delicious surprise, crispy and moist and crowned with a salad of chopped chicories and herbs. Another toss of panko crumbs over the salad gives the effect of Pop Rocks between your teeth.
An expansive kitchen allows guests to enjoy The Pigalle Burger any day, anytime, at any area of the restaurant. (For years, Bar Pigalle's small kitchen meant guests could only enjoy the burger at the bar, and while they've recently upsized, the restaurant cannot accommodate orders on Fridays and Saturdays, its busiest nights.) A contender for one of the best in metro Detroit, salty housemade American cheese melts in the heat of the burger, flavored simply with a pungent blend of snappy pickles, Dijonnaise and onion. Four years ago, I called it the most defining restaurant burger in Detroit at Bar Pigalle. That designation holds up.
Another simple delight is a stunning bowl of strawberry shortcake that places fluffy, airy Chantilly cream between dense biscuits laced with a cardamom perfume.
At around 6 p.m. on weeknights, guests begin to pour into the restaurant. By 7 p.m., if weather permits, they’ll spill out onto a patio the size of a large walk-in closet.
Chatter fills the space, diners at various tables exchange recommendations and deliberations. A gentleman entertains a wide-eyed child, a mother gives another an encouraging nod, a server compares notes on a book you’re reading.
If you ask me: At the Beverly, the Midwest tastes like simple pleasures and brotherly love.
The Beverly, 3180 Coolidge Hwy., Berkley. 248-662-5910; thebeverlymi.com
While Detroit Free Press restaurant critics are no longer anonymous at area restaurants, they do their best to avoid being pandered to by restaurant staff. They show up to most restaurants unannounced at least three times, and do not accept complimentary meals. The Free Press covers all meals reviewed by critics. Our journalists adhere to the USA TODAY NETWORK Principles of Ethical Conduct For Newsrooms. Contact Detroit Free Press Dining and Restaurant Critic Lyndsay C. Green at: LCGreen@freepress.com. Follow @LadyLuff on Instagram and Twitter. Subscribe to the Eat Drink Freep newsletter for extras and insider scoops on Detroit-area dining.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: A Berkley restaurant serves simple pleasures
