The Best Dishes Eater Detroit Ate in October

With the Eater editors dining out several times a week, we come across lots of standout dishes, and we don’t want to keep any secrets. For this recurring feature, we highlight the best things that the Eater Detroit team ate. Check back monthly!

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Flint Burger at Mercury Burger Bar

2163 Michigan Avenue, Detroit

I’ve been in Detroit more than 13 years by now but it wasn’t until last month that I finally discovered the briny beauty that is the olive burger. A Michigan tradition dating back to 1923 at Flint’s Kewpee Hotel Hamburg, the olive burger is imparted with all of the salty bitterness that come from a pile of green olives on top of each patty. In food writing, we’re expected to have intimate familiarity with the iconic dishes of our region. So why hadn’t I had the pleasure of tasting this burger wonder until just recently? The olive burger is a delicacy of mid-Michigan with the epicenter of its popularity concentrated in our state’s capital, Lansing. While olive burgers can be found throughout the greater Lansing area, you’ll be hard-pressed to find it in other parts of Michigan, let alone outside of the state. At Mercury, each hand-pressed, freshly ground patty comes with melted cheddar cheese instead of the Swiss cheese typically used on olive burgers. Served open-faced and nestled in a spongy brioche bun, I got my Flint Burger with a side of tots. Each bite releases a juicy, savory, briny sensation — an innovation that makes me wonder when the rest of the world will catch onto this regional gem. — Serena Maria Daniels, Eater Detroit editor

Serena Maria Daniels

Smoked Whitefish Nicoise at Pennyroyal Cafe & Provisions

3319 Blue Star Highway, Saugatuck

I recently had the pleasure of spending a blue sky, peak-fall color day on the back patio at Pennyroyal Cafe & Provisions in Saugatuck. It’s an excellent place to kick back — not just because of the charming cocktail cabin and provisions barn, thoughtfully planted gardens, and new shoulder season pergola. More than that, Pennyroyal chef Melissa Corey’s commitment to sustainably sourcing ingredients that showcase the Great Lakes and the greater Midwest is delicious, especially her smoked whitefish nicoise ($20). For this riff on a Provençal classic, Corey tosses lettuces that she and partner Ryan Beck grow on their 16-acre Fennville farm with a creamy, emulsified dijon vinaigrette. The salad is topped with Visser Farms green beans, homegrown cherry tomatoes, olives, and Crisp Country Acres new potatoes that Corey marinates in apple cider vinegar that she and her team make in-house — a nod to the area’s apple farming roots. She tops the plate with a six-minute soft cooked egg and generous pieces of whitefish that the chef sources directly from Mackinac Straits Fish Co. in St. Ignace. While a traditional nicoise hails from the shores of the Mediterranean and is typically served with tuna or anchovies, I’m stoked that such an accomplished chef is serving it with smoked whitefish this close to Lake Michigan. — Stacey Brugeman, Fresh Coast correspondent

Stacey Brugeman

Duck Sandwich at Mabel Gray

23825 John R Road, Hazel Park

We usually go for the tasting menu whenever we’re lucky enough to grab seats at Mabel Gray, but when the duck sandwich made a brief appearance on that beautifully handwritten, cursive menu, we couldn’t resist. The kitchen cured the duck legs and then confited them, cooking them low and slow while submerged in duck fat. Once tender, the bones were removed, and the duck was shaped into a circular patty, then chicken-fried—dipped in seasoned flour, followed by a buttermilk bath, another coat of seasoned flour, and finally into the fryer. It was then finished with a generous drizzle of Michigan hot honey infused with freshly shaved chiles for a kick that cut through the richness of the duck fat. The spicy, chicken-fried duck confit was then layered with sous chef Sam Stanisz’s sweet pickles, shredded lettuce, a duck fat garlic mayo that added a distinct umami depth, and placed between a toasted sesame seed bun. We paired our sandwich with glasses of a crisp Champagne that was expertly recommended by the bar team. Pro tip: Join Mabel Gray sommelier Paulina Schemanski’s Champagne Society newsletter to keep up with events and resources centered around Champagne. — Courtney Burk, Detroit-based freelance contributor

Courtney Burk

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Bibim-naengmyeon at Sambong Korean Restaurant

5389 Crooks Road, Troy

Over the summer, I wrote about a couple of Detroiters making naengmyeon at home. That’s because Southeast Michigan doesn’t have many options for restaurants specializing specifically in Korean cold noodles. That changed, however, with the opening of Sambong in Troy. Sambong is a true cold noodle restaurant, and owners Ethan Park and Grace Kim have designed it that way. They make their potato starch noodles in-house with a giant extruder that spits the noodles directly into boiling water. The noodles are then rinsed and chilled, shocking them and preserving their delightfully chewy nature in the process. I recently tried the bibim-naengmyeon that’s served with a tangy, spicy red chile paste, pickled radish, boiled egg, and cucumber. The move is to order the combo, which includes a side of galbi (marinated and grilled short ribs). Feel free to add vinegar and hot mustard as desired. Perhaps most importantly, Sambong also features a huge self-service container of hot broth to enjoy. This broth is the hallmark of a great naengmyeon restaurant, and the constant cooling and heating of noodles and broth is an exciting meal no matter the weather. Cold noodles are for every season. — Danny Palumbo, Detroit-based freelance writer

Danny Palumbo