Food heaven in the Great Lakes of America
Our writer discovers a gourmet 10-night tour.
In the state of Michigan, it’s obvious from the beaming pride of locals that the city of Detroit is rejuvenating itself after a troubled past, taking the bold decision to develop its existing identity and architecture with its rich music and food heritage. Happily, this means a noticeable lack of chain shops and the blossoming of smaller outlets.
Plus, about 100 new openings over the past year have made Detroit a serious foodie destination.
And you can’t go without sampling the hot dogs. Back in 1917, Gust Keros began the outlet American Coney Island, serving hot dogs with a meat chilli topping. Shortly after, his brother started a rival outlet, Lafayette Coney Island, right next door, opting for a beefier version of the chilli topping, with American Coney sticking with its spicier version. The friendly rivalry touches every Detroiter, who all have their own views.
Away from the food, the must-see attraction is the huge Detroit Institute of the Arts, with its four-wall Diego Rivera mural that depicts the industry of the Ford Motor Company, integral to both Detroit’s past and future. And who could possibly miss the Motown Museum, where you can walk in the steps of music history?
Stay at the Shinola, the first hotel launched by the leather goods brand. Opened this year, the attention to detail doesn’t go unnoticed. Pulling out the dressing table drawer in my room reveals a sign saying ‘You are beautiful’. GOURMET GLORY
When you’ve had enough of city thrills, take the two-hour drive to Lake Erie, which boasts 152 miles of shoreline. Nearby is Cedar Point, home to 70 rides and rollercoasters. It’s a great stop-off before heading to your next gourmet city – Cleveland, Ohio. Here, check out
The Greenhouse Tavern, run by awardwinning chef, Jonathon Sawyer. Start with its staples – pulled pork potato croquets and fried Brussels sprouts – and move on to the divine ramp pistou rigatoni.
Leaving the city, it’s fascinating to explore Berlin, an area in Ohio where many Amish communities have settled. Stop off at the Amish & Mennonite Heritage Center and find out about their distinctive brand of home cooking, including cheese made with techniques brought over from Switzerland. They are also famous for their delicious dessert pies, available across the state.
Next stop is Columbus. A good way to see the city is by going on a gastronomic walking tour with Columbus Food Adventures. We also enjoyed Basi Italia, with charismatic chef Johnny Dornback serving interesting twists on classic Italian and Mediterranean dishes.
In Cincinnati, the American Legacy Tours Queen City Underground Tour is a must to understand the city’s brewing heritage. The neighbourhood, once home to 130 saloons, is famed for its below-ground breweries and the tour takes you down into some recently discovered tunnels, with bottles from pre-prohibition visible. Then it’s on to Indiana. Make a beeline for the luxurious French Lick Resort, where rocking chairs and American flags line the porch. The town has natural sulphur springs that propelled it into being America’s own spa town in the late 19th century. And the trend for drinking tomato juice started here in 1917 when its restaurant 1875:
The Steakhouse, ran out of oranges.
Worth trying, too, is a boat tour of Patoka Lake and a stop at Patoka Lake Winery, with its sweet fruit wines, followed by lunch at the Oasis Diner in Plainfield. The pork tenderloin is so good that it’s on three top 10 lists.
If you thought America was simply burgers and fries, this amazing trip will put the record straight and leave your taste buds zinging long after your return flight home.
BOOK IT Vacations To America offers a 10-night tour of the Great Lakes from £2,335 per person, including return flights from London Heathrow to Detroit (vacationstoamerica.com) and a mid-sized car (affordablecarhire.com). For more information on the Great Lakes, visit greatlakesusa.co.uk. Victoria Smith
‘Your taste buds will be zinging long after you return home’