Macomb/Plymouth/Clawson, MI — I recently enjoyed a four-day weekend, some eagerly awaited time off from work, albeit my original plans for my vacation fell through.

Months ago, when I initially requested time off, my hope was to attend the 2024 James Beard Awards, which were held this past weekend in downtown Chicago. I thoroughly researched attending and looked into requesting a media credential to cover the awards ceremony for this blog. After all, Michigan had two proudly representing our state as finalists for separate awards. While I would have loved to attend and witness when Hajime Sato, the owner and chef at Sozai in Clawson, won the Best Chef – Great Lakes Region award, unfortunately, I couldn’t secure close enough lodgings to the venues for a reasonable price in time.

Either way, major congratulations to Chef Sato! A Michigan chef hasn’t brought back a regional Best Chef category award since 2003, and this is the first time the award has ever been given to a sushi restaurant in this region. A shout-out is also in order for Hamissi Mamba of Baobab Fare in Detroit, who was a finalist repping our state for Outstanding Restauranteur. Unfortunately, the award went to a hospitality group based in Boulder, Colorado.

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So, instead of spending my weekend in Chicago, I decided to let the PTO play out and figured I’d enjoy a little staycation around Metro Detroit. And before I knew it, my days off quickly filled up with various foodie adventures! Since I was hanging around the Metro, I decided to accept a media/influencer invite to check out Oro on Friday, a new concept within Testa Barra in Macomb. On Saturday, I planned to head out to Plymouth-Canton for one of my oldest nephew’s baseball games, followed up with dinner with my sister’s family in downtown Plymouth at Barrio Cocina y Tequileria. And finally, a dinner date at Noble Fish in Clawson for Sunday!

Oro

My good friends, the Baldwins, had given me a heads-up about this new endeavor, a concept established within their restaurant Testa Barra in Macomb. Testa Barra is helmed by Executive Chefs Mike and Gabriella Baldwin and Mike’s brother Jeffrey, who serves as Director of Operations and leads the Baldwin Restaurant Group’s sommelier program.

Oro is an exciting concept influenced by the Baldwins’ affinity for Cali culture and Gabriella’s Latin heritage. The Baldwins converted their large, enclosed patio space at Testa Barra into Oro, lining the walls with various artworks depicting skateboard culture within a lively and colorful environment of lights and displays.

My friend MacKenzie lives in the area, so I asked her to join me for this foodie adventure. We met up around 4:30 p.m. and were led to our table in the middle of the patio. MacKenzie and I ordered a few things to split, including the Guac 360, Tacos Patatas Bravas, Tacos Al Pastor, and Pastelillos.

The guac and chips were on point and hit the mark for a solid starting appetizer. Our tacos arrived next (seen above), and we were both blown away by how exceptionally delicious both renditions were. The Tacos Patatas Bravas are packed with crispy blackened potato hash, Stoney Creek crispy lion’s mane mushrooms, caramelized onions, chayote, cotija cheese, and rice served via corn tortillas. The cheesy potato hash blend was unique for a taco, but it absolutely worked, with an earthy sweetness as the finishing flavor profile.

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The Tacos Al Pastor comes served as a whole rack, braised in Al pastor marinade, and topped with grilled pineapple pico, onion, corn tortillas, alongside a bowl of rice garnished with cilantro. These ribs were slow-cooked very well. I had no trouble sliding my fork down the side of a rib, easily separating and guiding the tender meat into the fold of the tortilla, where I had already lined a bed of rice for the bottom layer. I spooned some onions and grilled pineapple and took a hearty bite. For the amount of meat and rice you get and the quality of ingredients, these tacos are worth every cent and then some!

Although we were quite full and had already boxed some leftovers, MacKenzie and I discussed possibly getting dessert since we both had been crushing it in our gym endeavors lately. After all, the Churros Madrilenos, which contained orange dolce, chai creme anglaise, and melted chocolate, sounded glorious. Instead, we landed on more food, going with an order of the Pastelillos.

These little baked pastries are similar to empanadas but on a smaller scale. They are packed with a blend of pork shoulder, chorizo, cilantro, manzanilla olives, and pimentos, served with a side of caldo. Our server later notified us that these Pastelillos are a specialty of Chef Gabriella, featuring one of her family recipes passed down from her grandmother. MacKenzie and I each got one, biting into the crispy, baked, and warm pastry. The interior ingredients, a savory meaty and olive-peppery mixture, were packed to the edge. Albeit excellent on its own, the caldo added a remarkable kick and flavor boost, taking something already great and making it even more incredible!

Barrio Cocina y Tequileria

The following day, I arrived at Salem High School around 4 p.m. to catch one of my nephew’s baseball games and then get dinner with him, my sister, and my brother-in-law. My other nephew stayed home for the day to play video games and watch the family dog. I get it; I was that age once, too! My sister and I already planned ahead and decided on Barrio Cocina y Tequileria, based on numerous positive reviews my sister had heard and the lone trip I had made there once years prior, taken by some of my friends during a visit back to Metro Detroit while I was living in Phoenix.

My nephew and his team dominated their opponents; meanwhile, I caught up with my sister and brother-in-law about typical life stuff, such as work and my latest adventures. When the game was nearly done, my sister and I headed out early for downtown Plymouth to put in for a table. My brother-in-law and nephew would eventually meet up with us about 20 minutes or so later since we anticipated a wait for a table at the restaurant. On top of downtown Plymouth’s popularity, Barrio is arguably one of the more well-known establishments for top-tier cuisines around town.

The wait ended up being about 40 minutes. Even the abysmal weather outside couldn’t dissuade the typical foot traffic for downtown Plymouth on a summer weekend. Eventually, we were seated, and we all began perusing the menu in earnest since we were all starving. We decided to split some appetizers for the table: the Flautas and El Trio.

My sister, oldest nephew, bro-in-law, and myself could not get enough of these Flautas! The tortilla boats were perfectly crisp and crunchy, filled with a sea of shredded chili chicken and Chihuahua cheese. These zesty snacks came served with guac, sour cream, and a spicy, creamy chipotle that I would later use again for the tortilla chips that came with the El Trio.

Speaking of El Trio, this appetizer at Barrio in Plymouth showcases some relatively large and thick tortilla chips perfect for dipping alongside a wholesome salsa with a hint of smokiness. The sensational queso blanco has a great consistency for dipping and scooping thick cheesy globs containing diced peppers for spice that delivers on the classic beloved cheesy dip. And finally, we had to ask for a refill of the guacamole because it was gone (as were our chips) fairly quickly!

Our entrées arrived a few minutes after we had cleaned the plates of our appetizers, save for a few remaining smears of guac and sour cream. I ordered the Burrito De Casa for my main plate in the name of the gains. This hefty burrito is loaded with Mexican rice, black beans, Chihuahua cheese, guacamole, lettuce, pico, and finally topped with Verde sauce, crema, queso fresco, sliced radish, and ole reliable: cilantro. For my protein, I added shredded chicken tinga inside. Cutting away at this burrito was the most rewarding challenge, with each bite more succulent and filling than the last. The creamy fresco and crema were portioned perfectly across the burrito, ensuring every bite had a creamy and cheesy finish. The spices from the chicken tinga were notable and delicious, with generous portions of juicy chicken appearing in every bite.

I ordered a Queso Quesadilla to take home for a snack later since it was early, and mainly for a kickstart breakfast the next day. This would be the perfect fuel for my Sunday morning gym sesh! I added the chicken adobo for my protein to complement the sautéed mixed peppers, onions, and Mexican cheese. Obviously, I had to enjoy one there while it was at its freshest, so I dressed it up with all the fixings of guac, pico, and sour cream. The peppers and onion amid the gooey sea of cheese and well-seasoned chicken were a true delight, adding some heat and texturization throughout the melted cheese.

Noble Fish

Perhaps the best foodie venture of the three was my Sunday evening dinner date at Noble Fish in Clawson. I headed up to Clawson along I-75 for a few minutes before exiting at 14 Mile Road and turning westward. I was excited not only for my date but also to finally check out Noble Fish, an establishment that I have made attempts to try in the past. However, both times, I arrived too late to catch dinner before the dining area closed for the evening.

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My date and I were both major sushi enthusiasts, so my recommendation to try what many claim to be the best sushi restaurant in Metro Detroit was the move for dinner! We met up outside and went in, glancing briefly at some of the market items on the left half of the store before walking over to the other half, which was the sushi bar.

We ordered four rolls of sushi, ranging in various selections like the Spicy Salmon (bottom right in the image above) and Eel Avocado. All of the hype and plethora of positive reviews are justified. This sushi was so fresh, and each ingredient had an impact on the rolled-up delivery. My date ordered a side of spicy mayo, a great idea and suggestion, one of which I followed suit on. The chipotle mayo’s consistency was surprisingly perfect for the soft rolled rice sections and added a nice balanced hint of heat.

The salmon and eel were very tasty, and even on a late Sunday night before closing, this place was packed with people. My date and I thoroughly enjoyed our meal and getting to know each other better. Our shared love for sushi was well spent at Noble Fish! This is definitely some of the best sushi that I’ve had around Metro Detroit. It was particularly fresh, and each roll was meticulously crafted to deliver exceptional results time and time again.

And for dessert, we picked up a pack of mango mochi from one of the refrigerated shelves. We decided to split the pack of 8 over a beer across the street at Renshaw Lounge, and it was a wonderful time!

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It’s been some time since I’ve had such a foodie adventure blitz such as this, and it was certainly enjoyed. From some of the best sushi that I’ve had around Metro Detroit to experiencing delectable new foods for the first time like Pastelillos, I had a fantastic “foodiecation” last weekend, and I’d highly recommend taking one to enhance your next staycation!

For more information on Barrio Cocina y Tequileria in downtown Plymouth, click here. To learn more about Oro, the Latin meets Cali concept within Testa Barra in Macomb, click here. And finally, more details for Noble Fish in downtown Clawson can be found by clicking here.