An Appetizing Exploration of the 'Real' Mexicantown

There's more than a few places to nosh in Southwest Detroit's Mexicantown, a thriving haven for the city's bustling Latino community. But for outsiders and out-of-towners, it's sometimes hard to find the authentic hole in the wall places that locals love to frequent.

Thank goodness WDET producer Martina Guzmán feels your pain, and has provided a remarkably helpful walk-through of her neighborhood in Hour Detroit, highlighting those restaurants and food producers adding to the area's "rich gastronomic traditions."

Guzmán's picks range far and wide throughout Mexicantown, including the La Jalisciense tortilla factory, the bakery La Sheila's, and Taqueria Valente, among many, many other hidden gems and gastronomic delights.

Besides the insider tips and tricks, Guzmán's best addition to the culinary conversation is her frank and friendly tone and deeply-lived experience in the neighborhood.

"If you want rows of gated parking, chimichangas, and nachos, this tour might not be for you," she writes early on, lending an honest approach to any outsider-looking-in who might hope for merely slight exposure to the neighborhoods.

Her storytelling, too, offers some charming insight into the people who make up the sprawling, growing food scene in Mexicantown. She knows these people, their food and the stories behind how they came to this unexpected corner of Detroit, and her aim rings true. To learn more about where to eat well in Southwest Detroit, Martina Guzmán should be the go-to source for all of us.
· Exploring the Barrio [HourDetroit]