Visiting West Bloomfield this weekend

[caphill2320]

Hi! I'll be in West Bloomfield for a wedding this weekend and was looking for some recommendations of places to hit up while I'm there. Dinners are covered (rehearsal, wedding) so I'm looking for good coffeeshops or lunch places within walking distance of most places since I won't have a car.

Also, is there any where to rent bikes or other activities that I could do on Sunday before the wedding?

[luckygirl]

Since you'll be staying in Birmingham I have two suggestions for you.

First, go to Red Coat Tavern on Woodward in Royal Oak for a burger. I say with great confidence it will be one of the best burgers you'll ever have.

Second, Shangrila on 15 Mile and Orchard lake has WONDERFUL dim sum (the usual dim sum hours). There dim sum as not as good as the amazing places in San Fran where one get get the best DS in the country (IMO) but it is the best I've had outside of San Fran.

Have a great trip.

[caphill2320]

Oooh, that sounds awesome...a wonderful way to kill time before the wedding starts! Is it easy to get cabs there? I'll be minus a car, but it looks close enough to the hotel to cab.

[g rote]

Elie's Mediterranean is probably your best bet for lunch...heavily Lebanese menu, but so fresh, friendly & delicious.
For a late breakfast try The Whistle Stop...E. on Maple to Eton S. 2 blocks
Irish pub fare in a great atmosphere @ Dick O' Dows.

B-ham is pretty pedestrian-friendly, but it's really only about 4 square blocks of shops, etc....if you have a car you should drive up to Cranbrook Academy and walk the grounds...maybe pack a little picnic...it's absolutlely gorgeous. Just drive N. on Woodward ~2 miles to Lone Pine Rd. and turn left...the school entrance will be about a mile down on your right, visitor parking is on the left across from the entrance.

[boagman]

You betcha. It's only a couple of miles from downtown Birmingham, and you'd better *believe* that it's worth the cab ride/expense. It is, IMHO, the *best* burger in the Detroit area, and it'll be well worth your time to eat it before the wedding, because it always takes longer to get the food at the reception than people think. Redcoat Tavern's burger will leave you nice and nourished, but you'll be hungry for it again.

Trust me. Good choice and recommendation, BTW, luckygirl. I didn't think of it because it was outside of the Birmingham walkable area. Definitely worth it, though.

[fromtheD]

Is Red Coat open on Sundays now? It might be a better bet for Saturday.

[boagman]

Oh, it's on a Sunday? NUTS! Scratch the Redcoat, then. That's...too bad. I saw the "weekend" thing and glazed right over the fact that the wedding was on Sunday. Still: it'd be a good idea for Saturday afternoon or something.

Even better: late night after the rehearsal dinner on Saturday night. They serve food until 1:40AM, I believe.

Worth it!

[caphill2320]

Wow, thanks for all the suggestions! The wedding is on Sunday night and the rehearsal is at the Townsend...I've heard good things, can anyone weigh in? We'll be in town Saturday afternoon, and all day Sunday. (Monday will be goodbye brunch, then plane)

I think my sister and I are definitely going to check out the dim sum place on Sunday morning, anything that is a must try?

If we go out on Saturday night, i'll see if I can get people to go for a burger!

[g rote]

if you go out saturday night & stay in B-ham, check out either Dick O'Dows, 220 Merrill or the Midtown Cafe ...better yet go to downtown Royal Oak...lots of bars & restaurants packed into about 10 square blocks. Gusoline Alley is a classic dive bar...less scary than it looks. Comet Burger for post-bar-time greasy burgers, fries & malts.

[boagman]

Hey there. I'll start with the easiest question first: trying to rent bikes in the *Motor City* is like trying to tell someone about the *fabulous* wine cooler you had in Milwaukee. That boat don't float. ;)

Actually, West Bloomfield is a pretty large area, so "within walking distance of most places" really isn't realistic. I can recommend the Stage Deli on Orchard Lake Road just south of Maple...that's my favorite corned beef sandwich, there. Don't expect good service (yeah, looks can be deceiving), but do expect extraordinarily good deli meat.

Milk and Honey at Maple and Drake inside the JCC is well-regarded, and there are lots of other places inside of West Bloomfield that are pretty good, too. It's just an area that's too big to reasonably say you can walk everywhere.

Hope that helps!

[caphill2320]

Ok...so all two wheeled human powered activities are out.

I just heard that we are actually staying in Birmingham...does that change anything?

[Jim M]

I don't know who in that area rents bikes (there's gotta be somewhere--maybe your hosts have one?), but the ritzy suburb of Bloomfield Hills is a great place for a relaxed bike ride. Low traffic, and you can see how the basketball stars and the auto execs live. Try the grounds of the Cranbrook art school--really very lovely. As for food, Birmingham has a downtown that is walkable from most parts of that comparatively small suburb. For lunch try Streetside Seafood--consistently good. There are a bunch of coffeehouses and diners along and near Old Woodward as well.

[boagman]

Oh, well things are looking up a bit, then. Birmingham is inherently walkable, with lots of those little coffee shop places that you seek. If you're staying in Birmingham at the Townsend Hotel, their restaurant is very good, at least it has been when I've gone. The other poster mentioning Streetside Seafood is also a good choice, but there are *plenty* of choices within walking distance in downtown Birmingham.

You'll definitely like Birmingham, based on your ideas in your original post.